3. 21, G. A. R. 



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D. L KINGSBURY 




CAl'T. WM. H. ACKER. 



History of Acker Post 

No. 21, G. A. R. 

ST. PAUL, MINN. 

PREPARED AND READ ON ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY, 
APRIL 10, 1890; 

TOGETHER WITH 

A COMPLETE ROSTER OF THE POST 

AND A 

MEMOIR OF CAPT. WM. H. ACKER 

By J. B. CHAXEY. 



ALSO 

An Historical Sketch of the Department 
OF Minnesota and of the G. A. R. 

By CAPT. henry A. CASTLE. 



ORDERED PRINTED APRIL 9, 1891. 



POST ORGANIZED APRIL 8, 1870. 
RE-ORGANIZED KEBKUARy 9, 1882. 






n. L. COLLINS COMPANY. 

Printers. 

« 

Binders, 

ST. PAUL. MINN. 



J^/iT^e P 



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HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

NO. 21, G. A. R. 

PRECEDED BY A BRIEF NOTICE OF A POST 
IX ST. PAUL IX 1866. 



O&cers and Members of "Acker Post Xo. 21," G. A. R. : 

At a regular meeting of this Post, held on the twentv- 
third of January last (1890), the following resolution was 
adopted : 

"That the Entertainment Committee be requested to 
make proper preparations for the observance of the 20th 
Anniversary of 'Acker Post ;' and that comrade Chanev 
be requested to prepare a Paper, giving a historv of the 
Post since April 8, 1870." 

In compliance with the latter part of said resolution. I 
have the honor to submit the following fragments of its 
history. To prepare a full history of this organization, 
would involve the writing of a good sized book, which of 
course was not contemplated by you. I have selected from 
the abundant material in my possession, only such items as 
I thought would be necessary to give a general idea of its 
history — simply a Sketch. 

A POST BEFORE ACKER. 

Perhaps it will be proper to refer, by way of introduc- 
tion, to the original institution of the " Grand Army of the 
Repubhc," and to its first planting on Minnesota soil. 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



The first " Post" of the "Grand Army of the Republic," 
was organized at Decatur, Illinois, April 6, 1866, by Dr. 
B. F. Stephenson of Springfield, in that State, who had 
served as Surgeon of the 14th 111. Infantry. 

The first Department was organized at Springfield, 111., 
July 12, 1866, and Gen. John M. Palmer was elected its 
Commander. 

The first Post of the G. A. R. in Minnesota, was organ- 
ized in the Governor's Room in the Capitol in this city, on 
the evening of August 1, 1866 — less than a month after the 
organization of the first Department of the Order, and a 
little less than four months after the Order itself was insti- 
tuted. It was brought about in this way : Our comrade, 
W. R. Marshall, who was then Governor, invited a number 
of ex-soldiers to meet at his office in the Capitol on said 
evening to consider the expediency of starting the Order of 
the "Grand Army of the Republic" in Minnesota. In re- 
sponse to that invitation the following persons were pres- 
ent, and after some discussion, concluded that it was ex- 
pedient, and were duly mustered in, by Col. Snyder of 111., 
who was present, clothed with the necessary authority : 
Gen. John B. Sanborn, Gen. William R. Marshall. 

Gen. Horatio P. Van Cleve, Col. Ross Wilkinson, 
Lieut. Col. Henry C. Rogers, Maj. John Moulton, 
Maj. Henning Von Minden, Maj. John P. Owens, 
Capt. E. Y. Shelley, Capt. Miles Hollister, 

Capt. Emil Munch, Lieut. A. P. Connolly. 

Surgeon Jacob H. Stewart, Brewer Alattocks, 
Sergt. Edward Richards, M. R. Merrill. 

The following officers were elected : 

Gen. John B. Sanborn — Grand Commander, 
Capt. E. Y. Shelley — Adjutant General, 
Lieut. A. P. Connolly— Ass't Adj't General, 
Capt. Miles Hollister — Quartermaster General. 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



This was, in one, the head of the Order in this State, 
and a local Post. 

The second meeting was held in the Senate Chamber, 
August 4th, when several more ex-soldicrs were mustered 
in. The third meeting was held on August 8th, in the old 
Mackubin Block, which stood on ground now occupied by 
the Metropolitan Hotel, fronting on Third street. At this 
meeting about twenty additional members were received ; 
among them Ex-Governor Stephen Miller. It was at this 
meeting that I first joined the Order. 

Posts were rapidly formed in different parts of the State, 

and on Oct. 16, 1866, the first regular Grand Encampment 

was held in this city, and delegates were present from 

Posts, as follows ; 

St. Paul Post— John C. Becht, John P. Owens. 

Red Wing Post— L. P. Littlefield, J. P. Davis. 

,,. 1- Ti ^ fO. C. Merriman, Wm. Harmon, 

Minneapolis Post-|^ ^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^ Conwell. 

St. Anthony Post— Wm. Lochren, A. H. Stites. 
Farmington Post— J. H. Donaldson, R. P. Cheaning. 
Lake City Post— T. J. Lambert, A. H. Corwin. 
Brown County Post — P. Baasen. 
The officers elected were : 
John B. Sanborn — Grand Commander, 
John Moulton — Adjutant General, 
Miles Hollister — Quartermaster General, 
Council of Administration — S. Lee Davis, Edward Ander- 
son, E. M. Wilson, J. H. Donaldson and Geo. A. Clarke. 
Soon after this, the Grand Commander, J. B. Sanborn, 
was called away from the State to attend to matters con- 
nected with the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, which business 
necessitated his absence for a long time; and there being 
then no provision for a Vice Commander, the Order in this 
State was left without an executive head, and the Depart- 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



rnetit organization died. Several of the Posts, however, 
kept up their meetings for some time, the "St. Paul Post'^ 
among the number. Five of the members of that first Post 
were among the original charter members of Acker Post. 
Without further preliminaries I will proceed to the per- 
formance of the duty assigned to me, that of giving a 

HISTORY OF ACKER POST. 

To find the first movement which resulted in the organi- 
zation of this Post it is necessary to revert to the annual 
meeting of the State Department Encampment, held at 
Minneapolis, January 6, 1870. At that session a motion 
was made to hold the following July session at the same 
place. Comrade Henry A. Castle, who was a member of 
the Encampment, moved to amend by striking out "Min- 
neapolis," and inserting "St. Paul." The objection was 
raised that there was no Post in St. Paul ; but comrade 
Castle promising that there should be one in time for the 
meeting if they would go there, the amendment was adopt- 
ed, and St. Paul declared the place for the July session. 
Then it devolved upon comrade Castle to make his word 
good. In due time a sufficient number of resident ex-sol- 
diers had agreed to join in the enterprise to warrant the 
organization of a Post. All the necessary arrangements 
having been completed, a meeting was called for that pur- 
pose, to be held on the evening of April 8, 1870. The 
persons interested convened in the law office of "Kimball 
& Davidson," on the second floor of the " Forepaugh 
Block," (now called " McQuillan Block "), on the northeast 
corner of Third and Wabasha streets. 

At this meeting there were present the following named 
ex-soldiers, resident in St. Paul: 

Henry A. Castle, Mark D. Flower,. 

Hiram A. Kimball, True S. White, 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



\ncli-ew R. McGill, Henry T. Johns, 

William H. Dixon, Homer C. EUer, 

J. Sanford Dixon, J. B. Chaney, 

J. Ham Davidson, Geo. T. Browning, 

William Penner, William H. Brown, 

Edward H. Jndson, John Smith, 

David Kenned3% J. A. Rob\-, 

J. P. Leitner, E. H. Wood. 

These were met by the following comrades from ''Post 
No. 3," of Minneapolis, who came down to assist at the 
birth of this Post : 

H. G. Hicks— .\. A. General E. M. Marshall, 
of the Department, as James Murison, 
Mustering Officer, . F. Rockwell, 

L. P. Plummer. G. W. Shuman, 

The obligations pertaining to the three grades (as the 
Order was divided at that time) were then duly adminis- 
tered by the Mustering Officer, comrade Hicks, and "Post 
No. 21" declared dulj'^ instituted. The Post immediately 
proceeded to elect the following three officers, leaving the 
others to be chosen at the next meeting : A Post Com- 
mander, Senior Vice Commander, and Adjutant, with the 
following result : 

Post Commander — Henry A. Castle. 
S. Y. C. Commander — Hiram A. Kimball. 
Adjutant — Mark D. Flower. 
The following committees were appointed : 
Committee to procure a hall, consisting of comrades 
Judson, White and Kennedy. 

Committee to select a name for the Post, consisting of 
comrades McGill, Johns and Leitner. 

The Post adjourned until the following Tuesday even- 
ing, April 12th, at the same place. 



10 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

At the second meeting, April 12tli, the committee to 
select a name reported in favor of "Wilkin," in honor of 
Col. Alexander Wilkin, late of the 9th Minnesota Infantry. 
The report was accepted, and the committee discharged. 

Comrade Kimball then ofiFered the following resolution, 
which was seconded b}' comrade Davidson : 

"Resolved, That this Post be named 'Wilkin Post 
No. 21,' in honor of Col. A. Wilkin, of the 9th Minnesota." 

"On motion of comrade Chaney, the resolution was 
amended by inserting the name of Capt. William H. 
Acker, of the 1st Regiment of Minnesota Volunteers,' in- 
stead of Col. A. Wilkin, of the 9th Regiment of Minnesota 
Volunteers,' and thus passed, without a dissenting voice." 

Thus it was that this Post came to be named "Acker 
Post." 

As a matter of fact, as will be noticed further on. 
Acker, at the time of his death, was not connected with 
the " First Minnesota," but was theoriginal captain of Co. 
"C," of that regiment, and had been promoted from it to 
a captaincy in the regular army ; but it always seemed 
most natural to refer to or think of him as of that regi- 
ment. Wilkin also went into the service with the "Old 
First," being the original captain of its Co. "A." He was 
promoted, successively, to Major and Lieut. Col. of the 2d 
Minnesota Infantry, and then Col. of the 9th. He was 
killed at the battle of Tupelo, Miss., July 14, 1864. 

The name of "Wilkin" was good enough for any 
Post, for he gave up his life for his country also, and I am 
glad that one now bears it, but it seemed to be more ap- 
propriate that this one should bear the name of " Acker," 
inasmuch as he was Adjutant General of the State at the 
time Sumter's walls were bombarded by rebel cannon ; and 
by him were issued the orders for the formation of the first 
Volunteer Regiment formallv tendered to the Government 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 11 

to aid in putting down the accursed Slaveholder's Rebel- 
lion. And, while perforniinjj^ his duties in that official posi- 
tion, he raised a compau}- for that regiment, then resigned, 
accepted a captain's commission, and led his Company 
("C") on that fateful field— the First Bull Run. On this 
occasion his gallantry was so conspicuous, though severely 
wounded, that President Lincoln gave him a captainc}- in 
the regular army, and, at the head of his Company- ("C," 
16th U. S. Infantry) he gave up his life on the morning of 
the seventh of April, 1862, in the battle of "Shiloh." It 
was but necessary to mention his name to insure its 
unanimous adoption for the name of the Post. 

Immediateh' after the adoption of the name, the Post, 
by vote, requested the comrade who had suggested the 
name adopted, to prepare a sketch of the life and services 
of Capt. William H. Acker, to be filed with the records 
of the Post. * 

Dr. J. H. Murphy, Maj. John C. Becht, and P. G. Brown, 
were given the three grades and then the Post proceeded to 
an election of the officers not chosen at the first meeting, 
with the following result : 

Junior Vice Commander — True S. White. 

Quartermaster — A. R. McGill. 

Surgeon — John H. Murphy. 

Sergt-Major^. S. Dixon. 

Q. M. Sergeant — E. H. Judson. 

Officer of the Day— W. H. Dixon. 

Officer of the Guard — J. P. Leitner. 
These with 

Henry A. Castle — Post Commander, 

Hiram A. Kimball — S. V. Commander, 

Mark I). Flower — Adjutant, 
•constituted the first set of officers of "Acker Post;" 



' The .sketch alluded to is printed as an Appendix to this History. 



12 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

and all of them except Maj. Hiram A. Kimball, deceased, 
and J. S. Dixon, removed, are still members. 

The following order wasissued by the Post Commander . 
and read at this meeting: 

"Headquarters Post No. 21, G. A. R.) 
Department of Minnesota, / 

St. Paul, Minn., April 12, 1870. 
In accordance wijth the decision of the comrades, it is 
herebi* announced, that, in honor of the memorj^ of Capt. 
W. H. Acker, 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, who 
entered the service from this city, and was killed in battle, 
this Post shall be named and styled 

'ACKER POST No. 21, 
Department of Minnesota, Grand Army of the 
Republic' 
Let the memory of the brave be kept fresh in our hearts 
forever. m. D. Flower, Henry A. Castle, 

Post Adjutant. Commander of the Post." 

As an historical fact, I will state that the above was 
written in pencil, upon a scrap of paper while the business 
of the Post was being transacted. 

The third meeting was held April 19th, in "Good Temp- 
lar Hall," which had been secured for the use of the Post, 
at a monthly rental of $10 — the Post to pay for janitor's 
services in addition. This hall occupied the third floor of 
the stone building on the southwest corner of Third and 
Cedar streets. At this meeting, charter members John 
Way, Benj. Brack, H. W. Bussee, A. P. Connolly, Oscar W. 
Sears and W. S. Peck were duly mustered in. 

At the fourth meeting, held April 26th, a resolution was 
adopted requiring all charter members, as well as others, to 
pay dues for the first quarter, which would end on the last 
day of June. The terms of oflice also ended at that time — 
the terms began with January- and Juh', being then six in- 
stead of twelve months, as now. 



SAINT PAIL, MINNESOTA. 13 

Having now launched the Post fairly upon the sea of 
life, I shall be less minute as to the details of Post trans- 
actions, and mention only those, which, at different periods 
of its history, seem to be most important. In fact, it would 
be impossible to give a full histor\' of this organization 
within the limits necessary to observe on this occasion. 



DECORATION DAY. . 

The first move towards a public observance of Decora- 
tion Day in this city was made at the meeting of this Post 
held May 3, 1870, at which time a committee was appointed 
to take the necessar\' steps to that end. 

At the meeting held Ma}"- 10th, the Sketch of the Life and 
Services of Capt. Wm. H. Acker, requested at the second 
meeting of the Post, was read. 

The first public and formal observance of Decoration Day 
in St. Paul took place under the management of Acker 
Post, on thethirtiethof Ma}', 1870; the preliminary steps to 
which were taken, as before stated, at the meeting held on 
the third of that month. At first it was designed to be a 
very modest and quiet affair; but the people demanded a 
more elaborate demonstration, andgenerously furnished the 
necessary means to make it such. The fire department and 
two military companies, besides State and cit}' officials, 
and a large number of ex-soldiers and other citizens joined 
in the procession. The parade was a large and brilliant 
one. Gen. (nowcomrade) H. H. Sibley was Chief Marshal, 
with Generals 0. D. Greene and A. Baird, of the U. S. Army, 
as Assistants. The Division Commanders were, Generals 
Willis A. Gorman and John T. Averill, Col. Calvin S. Uline, 
and Maj. James H. Donaldson. The principal ceremonies 
were held in Oakland Cemetery, where addresses were de- 
livered b}' comrade Henry A. Castle, Col. E. A. Calkins, 



14 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

Capt. Cushman K. Davis, and ex-Governor William R. Mar- 
shall; (all of whom, except Col. Calkins, are now members 
of this Post). A poetical recitation was also given by 
comrade James H. Davidson. The "Cross" was decorated 
by comrade Hiram A. Kimball, then our S. V. C. (One 
year later it was our sad duty to place a "memorial 
wreath" upon that same Cross in his memory, he having 
died on the eleventh of January, 1871, in Santa Barbara, 
California.) A touching feature of the celebration was the 
presence of the soldiers' orphans, thirt}' in number, then 
cared for at the expense of the State in St. Paul Orphan 
Asylums. Services were also held in the Catholic and Luth- 
eran Cemeteries. At the former, an eloquent and patriotic 
address was delivered by Rev. John Ireland, now Archbishop. 
At this first observance of Decoration Day we were able 
to find but thirty-eight graves to decorate in Oakland Cem- 
etery, and about twelve or fourteen in the other two. Now, 
we have one hundred and seventy-four in the former, and 
ninety-two in the others. 

PETITION TO DECORATE REBEL GRAVES. 

At Oakland Cemetery, on this first celebration, a petition 
numerously signed, was presented, asking the Grand Arm}- 
of the Republic to decorate the graves of some rebel dead 
buried there, in the same manner and to the same extent it 
did those of the Union dead! But its members not having 
j^et arrived at that high degree of moral obliquity which 
looks upon treason and loyaltj' as equally praiseworthy', 
the request was not complied with. On the contrary, the 
Post, at its next meeting, passed a series of resolutions ex- 
pressive of its indignation at the insult, not only to the 
dead, but to the living men who had bared their breasts to 
rebel bullets, in the defense of their country's integrity. 



SAINy PAUL, MINNESOTA. 15 

These resolutions were forwarded through the Department 
to National Headquarters. The position taken by this 
Post was, of course, fully sustained. 

RELIEF. 
Very early in the life of the Post, the calls for " relief of 
distressed soldiers and the widows and orphans of those 
deceased," became so frequent and urgent that it was found 
impossible to meet them all with the small income derived 
from fees and dues. It was therefore decided to devise some 
plan to raise a larger Post relief fund. To this end a com- 
mittee was appointed December 20, 1870. After consider- 
able correspondence with various parties, a contract was 
finally closed with E. B. Temple, proprietor of the Military 
Drama of the "Union Spy," to put that play upon the 
boards of the opera house. Mr. Temple was to furnish 
one man, Joseph Barton, to perform the part of the 
"Spy," and the Post was to furnish the other actors. 
An arrangement was entered into with Company "A," 
First Regiment M. N. G. — they to have a "benefit" on the 
third presentation. Without going into detail, suffice it to 
say that an excellent company of ladies and gentlemen was 
made up. The play was presented to the public on the 
evening of Mondaj', March 13, 1871, and w'as repeated on 
the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th, to crowded houses. It was 
reproduced on the 20th, as a benefit to one of the lady 
singers — Miss Eva Hoyt. The gross receipts for the six 
nights, were $2,510.00. About eighty persons took part 
on the stage. The expenses were necessarily very large, 
still the Post realized quite a handsome amount, which 
was carefully devoted to the relief work. 

LOAN TO MRS. KIMBALL. 
The death of Major Hiram A. Kimball, the first S. V. C. 
of the Post, was incidentallv alluded to in connection with 



16 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

Decoration Da}^ ceremonies in 1870. He was a man beloved 
by all who knew him. He was held in special esteem b}' 
Acker Post, as indicated by resolutions unanimous!}' 
passed on the eve of his departure for California, where he 
hoped to find in its climatic conditions a restoration of his 
shattered health. But, like many others who leave Minne- 
sota in search of health, he failed rapidly, and died on the 
eleventh of January, 1871, in Santa Barbara. The expenses 
attendant upon his sickness and death, among strangers, 
left his widow in straightened circumstances. When this 
fact was made known to the Post, March 28, 1871, a tem- 
porary loan of $200 was immediately voted to her. This 
loan was afterwards repaid, the payment being accom- 
panied by a letter expressing her heartfelt thanks for the 
aid so kindly rendered. 

In Ma}^ 1871, the Post purchased forty caps and belts 
for the use of the members, and later, adopted a resolution, 
or b\'-law, requiring all members to wear them during the 
sessions of the Post. 

August 15, 1871, Post Commander Flower resigned, bis 
business necessitating his frequent absence from the city. 

At the same meeting (August 15) the new Rituals were 
received and the old ones burned, pursuant to General Or- 
ders No. 3, National Headquarters. The National Encamp- 
ment that year had abolished the grade system and provided 
that all members who had taken the grade of "Veteran," 
should be admitted to full membership by taking the obli- 
gation in the new Ritual. There w^ere nine w^ho assumed 
the obligation that evening, and among them were com- 
rades McCardy and Bohrer. 

At the meeting following (22d), comrade Geo.T. Brown- 
ing, who was then J. V. C, was elected Commander, vice 
Flower, resigned. 



SAINT I'ALL, MIXNF.SOTA. 17 

November 14, 1871, the Post voted $20 to the National 
Encampment Fund for the relief of comrades ^Yho were suf- 
ferers bv the great Chicago fire. 

UNION SPY, SECOND SEASON. 

In November, 1871, the "Union Spj' " was put upon the 
boards again, in the opera house, with several additional 
features. Companies "A" and "B" First Regiment M. N. 
G., were in the cast. There were, in all, about 125 people 
connected with its rendition. It was presented six nights 
in this city, and one, b\' request, in Minneapolis. Gross re- 
ceipts for the seven nights, $2,452.52. Expenses, $1,738.52. 
Net profits, $714.00. Of this latter sum, Company "A" 
received one-fifth, $142.80 ; The " Home for the Friendless," 
one-fifth; and the Post three-fifths— $428.40. 

AID TO THE "SOLDIERS' ORPHANS' HOME." 

The Board of Trustees of the "Soldiers' Orphans' Home" 
found themselves, near the close of 1871, without means to 
pay current expenses of the Home, beyond the end of the 
year — the State appropriation for that purpose being ex- 
hausted. This fact was made known to the Post, which, 
as was its custom in all deserving cases where soldiers or 
their widows or orphans were suflfering or likely to suffer, 
promptly came to the rescue, on December 12th, with a ten- 
dered loan of $400. The loan was thankfully received, and 
with it the institution was tided over until the legislature 
met and made a further appropriation. The loan was 
promptly repaid when the appropriation became available. 

NEW HALL. 

Before the close of 1871 the Post decided to have a more 
suitable place in which to hold its meetings, and to that end 
instructed its committee on hall to look for better quarters. 



18 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

It was reported that Turrell, Stees & Co., oftered to prepare 
a suite of rooms on the third floor of their new building on 
the northeast corner of Seventh and Jackson streets, and 
lease it to the Post for two years, with the privilege of three 
additional, at $200 per year. On the ninth of Januar}', 
1872, the committee was instructed to execute a contract 
with them upon those terms, which was done. The rooms 
were to be ready for occupancy May 1st. They were not 
ready, however, until nearh'- a month later. The Post occu- 
pied them for the first time on the 28th of May . June 4th the 
committee reported that they had expended $267.84 in fur- 
nishing the rooms. 

April 16, 1872, the Post had in its treasury $547.39. 
But the money did not find an abiding place there, as there 
were too many calls for relief to permit it to lie idle. Less 
than ten per cent, of the relief, however, was extended to 
members of the Post — the remainder going to needy ex-sol- 
diers who had not joined the Order, or to the widows and 
orphans of such. 

THE POST INCORPORATES. 

About the beginning of 1873 the Post decided to become 
a body corporate, and appointed a committee to draw up 
articles of incorporation. The articles were reported to the 
Post at its regular meeting on the twenty-seventh of Jan- 
uary. They were adopted, and the Post, at the same meet- 
ing, elected as its first board of trustees the following named 
persons : j. j. McCardy, for one year, 

H. A. Castle, for two years, 
J. B. Chanc}', for three years. 

The corporate existence of the Post commenced at the 
date of signing the articles, w^hich was February 17, 1873. 
The articles were filed for record in the offices of Register of 
Deeds and Secretarj'^ of State, February 20, 1873. 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 19 

The follo^Ying were the incorporators : 
Heni-y A. Castle, Jacob Meese, 

True S. White, Charles Hill, 

John H. Murphy, Robert J. Strong, 

Jacob H. Stewart, W. H. Lower, 

J. P. Leitner, Charles Hettrich, 

Zene C. Bohrer, J. K. Hager, 

J. B. Chaney, Charles H. Cobb, 

J. J. McCardy, Samuel A. Sturtevant. 

The first set of officers were the then incumbents. 

"THE HAYMAKERS" 

Was produced at the opera house, under the auspices of the 
Post in March, 1873, and had a run of three nights; the 
Post reaping a net loss of some $72. This was the first 
financial loss the Post had sustained in the theatrical line; 
but it was not the last. 

"THE COLOR GUARD." 

Early in 1874', the Post concluded to try its hand again 
in the military drama business, and made the necessary ar- 
rangements to present "The Color Guard." It was plaj^ed 
four consecutive nights, beginning Feb. 25th. The follow- 
ing shows the result : 

The gross receipts were $1,287.35 

Total expenses 973.25 

Net to Post $ 314.10 

PORTRAIT OF ACKER. 

On the twentj'-third of March, 1874, a handsome por- 
trait of Capt. William H. Acker was formally presented to 
the Post by his brother, Geo. S. Acker, on behalf of the 
family. 



20 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

THE OPERA HOUSE TROUBLE. 

April 20, 1874, the Post appointed a committee to secure 
the opera house for " Fair Week." The committee reported, 
in writing, at the following meeting (April 27 j, that thev 
had secured the same for the week commencing September 
7th and ending September 12th, at $60 per night, and en- 
closed a receipt for $25 paid on the contract. The report 
was accepted and the committee discharged. At the same 
meeting a communication was read from the manager of 
the Opera House company, refusing to comply with the 
contract. The matter was referred to a committee, with 
instructions to notify the company that the Post would 
hold it to the terms of the contract. The refusal was per- 
sisted in, and a lawsuit followed for damages in the amount 
of $800 as prospective profits. The case was decided 
against the Post upon the very singular technicality that 
the plaintiff. Acker Post, had no corporate right to make 
contracts for dramatic performances — or words to that 
effect. The case was appealed to the State Supreme Court, 
and there thrown out on some alleged informality in the 
papers. Besides losing its case, fees and costs to the amount 
of $128.15 were accumulated against the Post. 

THE "WIGWAM." 

July 13, 1874, the Post accepted the terms offered by the 
proprietor of "The Color Guard, "to repeat that play during 
Fair Week ; and as the opera house could not be secured a 
temporary building was erected on the northwest corner of 
Court House Square, capable of seating about twelve hun- 
dred persons, at a cost of $800. The first rendition was 
given on Monday evening, September 7th, and the plaj' was 
repeated every night during the week, to full houses. After 
paying all expenses, including the cost of the "wigwam," 



SIANT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 21 

as the building was called, the Post's profit was $81.94' in 
cash, besides about $80 worth of scenery, clothing, etc. 
The clothing, a])out $30 worth, was sent to Stoddard Post, 
at Worthington, together with $20 worth of shoes, to be 
•distributed among the comrades in that region whose crops 
had been destroyed by the grasshoppers. The scener}' was 
afterwards sold for some $75 or $100. 

November 21, 1874, the Post sent $20 to the Post at 
Windom, to help the comrades in that vicinit}^ who were 
also grasshopper sufferers. 

After the " Color Guard " had been twice successfully run 
the Post retired from the stage for a time— excepting occa- 
sional entertainments in its own hall; in some of which it 
made a little money, and in others it lost small amounts. 

MINOR EVENTS. 

The 3'ear 1875 passed without any occurrence of special 
interest or importance, outside of regular Post work. Dec- 
oration Day was duly observed, as usual, and the relief 
committee found plent}^ to do. New members were taken 
in occasionally — seventeen during the year; and several so- 
cial entertainments were given at the Post rooms. 

The lease of the hall expired in May of this year and it 
was extended for the additional three years. 

The experiences of the early part of 1876 were rather dis- 
couraging, so far as efforts to raise funds by public enter- 
tainments were concerned. Among the attempts of this 
nature was the engagement of Dr. Yilliers, a Ventriloquist 
and Humorist. The exhibition was given in the opera 
house Jantiar}' 27th and 28th. In this venture the Post 
lost $135. 

February 1st Mrs. LydiaChaddock-Hastings gave dram- 
atic readings at the Post hall ; the result being a net profit 
of two dollars and thirtv cents. 



22 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

Decoration Day was duly observed under the charge of 
the Post, as usual; but, aside from that, nothing of import- 
ance, except relief work, occurred. There was good feeling 
among the members, but they seemed to lose heart, or got 
lukewarm, and man}' failed to pay their dues. 

At the regular time, in December, the Post elected officers 
for the following year, 1877. 

PROPOSITION TO DISBAND. 

At the meeting held December 26th, the next one after 
the election of officers, a comrade called upon the Quarter- 
master for a statement of the indebtedness of the Post. He 
replied that it was about $250. 

The comrade making the inquir}- then moved "that a 
committee be appointed to consider the propriety of wind- 
ing up the affairs of the Post and surrendering the charter." 
Comrades White, Castle and W. H. Brown were appointed 
such committee. 

At the next meeting, January 3, 1877, the committee re- 
ported in writing, 

" 1st. That the Post do not disband. 

"2d. That we recommend obtaining a release from the 
hall, at an expense not to exceed $50, and that the Trustees 
be instructed in accordance with the above. 

"3d. That we sell all furniture, except chest and one 
desk, (amended by excepting two desks), and with the pro- 
ceeds pay debts. 

"4th. That the Trustees be instructed to procure a 
place of meeting, and that we meet, not to exceed once a 
month; and that our By-Laws be amended to conform. 

"5th. That the Quartermaster be instructed to take an 
inventory of all property, and present the same at the next 
meeting of the Post, and affix an estimated valuation 
thereon." 

The report was adopted. 

The Post then proceeded to install the officers for 1877. 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 23 

SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS. 

The meetings were kept up quite regularly until May, 
and with less regularity for some time after leaving the hall 
— meeting a portion of the time in eomrade Castle's room 
at the Dispateh office. The exact date of vacating the hall 
I have not been able to find. 

Decoration Day this year was unostentatiously observ- 
ed. The Post marched unattended to Oakland, sending de- 
tachments to the other cemeteries to decorate the graves. 

In 1878, instead of any formal street demonstration on 
Decoration Day, the Post held memorial services at Ply- 
mouth Church in uniform, on Sunday evening, June 2d, Rev. 
Air. Dana delivering the address. The Post turned out with 
very satisfactory numbers. 

In 1879 there was no observance of Decoration Day, and 
that is the only time since the organization of the Post 
that the daj' has not been properly' celebrated. 

In 1880, it was observed in a quiet way b\' members of 
the Post and a few friends outside. This celebration was 
due, principalU', to the exertions of Past Commander Geo. 
T. Browning, Col. W. H. H. Ta\'lor, and a few ladies. 

In 1881, the day was observed with more public demon- 
stration ; there being a street parade and exercises at the 
cemeteries. The Post, or its members, rather, participated, 
though it could scarcelv be said that the matter was under 
the charge of the Post. I think the credit of this demon- 
stration belongs, in a large measure, to our wortlu' Chap- 
lain, comrade W. T. Burr. 

RESUMPTION OF MEETINGS. 

I have, at last, reached the period when Acker Post 
No. 21, awoke from its sleep and was again to manifest 
itself as a livingf entity. 



24 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

May 24, 1881, at a meeting of Decoration Day commit- 
tees held in the old court house, there were about a dozen 
members of Acker Post, among other ex-soldiers, and the 
question of the practicability of Acker Post resuming its 
work came up and was discussed somewhat. It seemed to 
be the almost unanimous feeling that it could and ought to 
resume. A paper having that end in view, w^as circulated, 
and eighteen persons signed it, including several eligible but 
not yet members of the Order. 

July 8, 1881, at an adjourned meeting held at the same 
place, it was agreed that there should be a called meeting of 
the Post, to be held in " Building Society Hall," on Jackson 
street, one week from that date. The call w^as issued, and 
about twenty members reported for duty. After some pre- 
liminary business, an election of officers for the remainder 
of the term took place, with the following result : 

P. C.-J. J. McCardy, 

S. V. C— P.M. Finch, 

J. V. C.-R. A. Becker, 

Q. M.— E. H. Stevens, 

0. D.— True S. White, 

Chaplain — J. L. Brigham, 

Surgeon — J. H. Murphy, 

0. G.— Nicholas Flynn, 

Adj't. — R. V. Pratt (re-appointed), 

S. M. — Theo. Sander (appointed). 
With the exceptions of P. C, O. D., Surgeon and S. M., 
the above were the old officers, re-elected or appointed. 

At this meeting, also, a resolution was adopted, remit- 
ting all back dues up to July 1st, so as to place in good 
standing all the members who chose to unite in the new 
effort. 

"Druid Hall," on Jackson street, between Fifth and 
Sixth, having been secured for future meetings, when the 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 25 

Post closed, it was to meet there on the t\vcnt\'-first of 
the same month. 

At the meeting on July 21st, Col. W. H. H. Taylor and 
Judge Walter T. Burr were duly mustered in. From this 
time the meetings were held on the second and fourth 
Thursdays in the month, as they are now. 

PROVISIONAL DEPARTMENT. 

The old Department organization, under which this Post 
was instituted, was allowed to go down in 187S, or there- 
abouts, through the neglect of both its Commander and 
the Council of Administration to issue the necessary order 
for its annual meeting, and for which non-action, they 
should have been court-martialed. 

The result of this failure of the Encampment to meet 
and transact business, was, that most of the Posts in the 
State went to pieces. But "Acker Post" held its char- 
ter by more than the requisite number of membei's. This 
contingency had been provided for before it ceased to hold 
regular meetings. It paid its per capita tax on enough 
members to hold the charter as long as there was anj' De- 
partment to receive it ; and after that ceased to exist in a 
tangible form, the per capita was paid direct to the National 
Encampment. 

In June, 1880, a Provisional Department Commander 
was appointed at the request of a Post that for a year or 
more had neither recognized nor been recognized b}' the 
National Encampment, nor paid its per capita to anybody. 
It made no returns, neither did it have the National 
Countersign. And, strange to sa}', the derelict Department 
officers above spoken of, were members of this same Post ! 

After Acker Post had resumed work — if not "at the old 
stand," at least under its owocharter — the Provisional De- 
partment Commandeer insisted that it should take a new 



26 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

charter and a new number. The latter was an illegal de- 
mand, and the former seemed to the members entirel}' un- 
necessary. They said the old charter and the old number 
were good enough for them. 

They therefore appealed from the decision of the Depart- 
ment Commander to the Commander-in-chief. The result 
of the appeal was, that the Post was allowed to retain its 
name and number, but was required to have a new char- 
ter — a concession to the Post as to the number, because the 
law, then, as now, gave it that right, it not having been 
appropriated by any other Post. There were then but 
seven Posts in fellowship with the new Department. 

GARFIELD POST NO. 8. 

While this appeal was pending, the Post was in a coma- 
tose condition — it didn't know whether it was, or was 
not ! Several of its members, apparently discouraged by 
this state of things, applied for a charter for a new Post. 
Their request was complied with, and on the twenty-ninth 
of December, 1881, the Post was duly organized as 

"GARFIELD POST Xo. 8," 

with sixteen members — ten of whom had been former mem- 
bers of Acker Post. Their charter is dated January- 10, 
1882. It is to-day a live and flourishing Post, and ma}- it 
live long and continue to prosper. 

I have been unable to find any trace of the records of 
Acker Post covering the period from the resumption of 
work in Jul}-, 1881, to the re-organization under the new 
charter, Feb. 9, 1882. Whether they were intentionally 
destro\'ed, or simpl}-- lost, is a question I cannot find any 
answer to. It was an outrage to compel us to accept a 
new charter, for we had never disbanded. Our original 
charter was in our possession, and had never been out of 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 27 

it; nor had it ever been demanded. It is here with us to- 
night, hooking bright, but somewhat disgusted at the 
treatment it has received. 

RELIEF WORK. 

Of the relief work of Acker Post under its first charter, 
I have mentioned but a few of the hundreds of cases that 
called for aid — and never in vain, where the person was 
worthy; and many times aid was extended where it was 
afterwards ascertained that we had been imposed upon. 

The amount of money paid out under this head was 
ver}' large — how large, it is nowimpossible to ascertain, as 
the books which should show it, are lost or destroyed. 
But, from the best data I can get, by conversing with those 
•qualified to give an estimate, it swelled into the thousands 
of dollars. Its hand was ever open to "the needy and des- 
titute wards of the Grand Army of the Republic," so long 
as it had or could raise the means to afford relief. Many 
soldiers' widows and orphans and many sick and penniless 
soldiers, who were not even members of the Order, have 
had reason to bless "Old Acker Post" for assistance in 
their hour of need. But I was to write history, and not 
■eulogy, save as the record may itself be eulog^^ 

NUMBER OF MEMBERS. 

There were, under the first charter, one hundred and 
«ighty-seven names on its roll — two of them mustered in 
after resuming work in 1881, under the old charter, to-wit : 
Col. W. H. H. Taylor and Judge Walter T. Burr. 

OTHER THINGS. 

There are several subjects connected with the history of 
the Post under its first charter that I had intended to speak 
of, but time and your patience will not permit, more than 
an alhision to one or two. 



28 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

A cemetery lot, or lots, to be owned by the G. A. R., for 
the burial of ex-soldiers, sailors and marines, who chanced 
to die here among strangers, and without relatives able to 
provide suitable burial place, occupied the attention of the 
Post as long ago as March, 1871, when an attempt was 
made to procure one; but success did not attend the effort. 
Another attempt was made in June, 1873. Oakland Ceme- 
tery Association then offered a lot 22x30, in the northwest- 
ern portion of the grounds, for $125 — with twenty per cent 
off; but the offer was not accepted. A lot of that size, 
similarh- located, will cost, to-day, $450. 

THE SECOND CHARTER. 

At last, the decision in the appealed case, arrived, and' 
was read at a meeting held on Januar3'^ 26, 1882, and,, 
tinder it, the Post proceeded to re-organize. Comrade W. 
T. Burr was called to the chair, and R. V. Pratt acted as 
secretar}'. It was ordered that the secretary apply for a 
new charter. The meeting then adjourned until February 
9th, w^hen it v^ras re-mustered by the Provisional Depart- 
ment officers. There were twenty of the charter members 
present. This charter has fifty-six names upon it. including 
the thirty-six on the first one. 

The Post then proceeded to elect its first set of officers- 
under the second charter, with the following result : 

P. C— Walter T. Burr. S. V. C.-U. S. Hollister. 

J. V. C— Edward Simonton. 0. M.— John Way. 

Surgeon — C. G. Higbee. Chaplain — Ed. H. Stevens. 

O. D.— C. E. Chapel. 0. G.— Nicholas Flynn. 

R. V. Pratt was appointed Adjutant, John Espy, S. M. 
and Benj. Brack, Q. M. S. 

Mustering officer, J. A. Reed, of Stillwater, then installed; 
the above officers; and thus "Acker Post No. 21" was- 
put in running order for the third time. 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 29" 

There were present, as visitors on this occasion, nine 
members of Garfield Post No. 8, most of them former mem- 
bers of Acker, and three from Muller No. l,of Stillwater, 
besides three Department officers, who were also members 
of Muller Post. 

At the following meeting, February 21st, twelve more 
of the charter members were re-mustered; and at the one 
following that, (March 9th), twent3'-four more were re- 
mustered — making the full number, fifty-six. 

The Post was recognized by the Department from the 
date of re-muster; hut the honors received by some of its 
members, under the first charter, were held to have been 
lost to them. However, they were afterwards restored. 

Notwithstanding this seeming injustice, the Post man- 
aged to get along ver}' well. 

Now that the question which had been in dispute be- 
tween the Post and the Department, was settled, there 
seemed to be more confidence felt by the members, and as a 
result, they were more successful in their efforts to get new 
members. M^my of the old members, also, who had held 
aloof, were easily induced to return to duty. 

At this time. Acker and Garfield Posts occupied the same 
hall, (Druid), on different evenings; but, after a time, the 
latter fitted up a hall for its own use in another part of the 
same block. Acker Post, however, continued to occupy 
the same quarters until the fall of 1884. 

Decoration Day ceremonies in 1882 were conducted by 
Garfield and Acker Posts jointly. 

Past Post Commander Geo. T. Browning, died July 19, 
1882. Acker Post attended the funeral on the twenty- 
first. He had not renewed his membership under the second 
charter, but a joint committee of the two Posts was ap- 
pointed to prepare suitable resolutions in his memory, and 
the)' were prepared, adopted and spread upon the records. 



30 HISTORY OF ACKER POST 

At the last meeting in 1882, comrade Ta^'lor brought 
up the matter of a "Soldier's Monument," to be erected 
somewhere in this cit3',and steps toward securing one were 
taken. It was proposed to ask the legislature to make an 
appropriation towards it. Later, in 1883, a "State Sol- 
diers' Monument Association" was formed. The "Monu- 
ment " is not yet visible to the naked eye. 

The Department "Annual Encampment" met here in 
1883, and the two Posts joined as entertainers. 

Garfield Post assumed entire charge of Decoration Day 
ceremonies, at the request of Acker Post, in 1883. 

October 3, 1883, the Post participated in the great 
Northern Pacific celebration in this cit3^ 

During the session of the National Encampment at Min- 
neapolis, the Post kept "open house" and a "free lunch" 
to all comrades, and the first official visit made by the new 
Commander-in-chief, John S. Kountz, was made to its rooms. 

During the summer, the committee on hall, under in- 
structions, leased, and had fitted up, a new suite of rooms, 
■on the third floor of the "Miller Block," northwest corner 
of Third and Exchange streets, which the Post occupied 
for the first time, October 9, 1884; the formal dedication 
taking place on the twenty-fourth of the same month. 
These rooms were its headquarters until about the first of 
November, 1888, when it gave up its lease, sold a portion 
of its personal property, stored the remainder in the base- 
ment of the Capitol, and held its meetings in " Drake 
Block," with the "Sons of Veterans," using their furniture 
and fixtures. It remained there for awhile, then rented 
quarters in A. 0. U. W. Hall, northwest corner of Seventh 
and Minnesota streets; remaining there until it procured 
these rooms — formerU^ used for Muriicipal^ourt purposes, 
•our worth}' chaplain, W. T. Burr, being the dispenser of 
justice. 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 31 

I have now "got the ship into port, "but ithasbeen done 
by taking the "short Hne " route over the last eight A-ears. 
The length of this sketch has already exceeded the proper 
time limit, and still, but little of the historj' of "Acker 
Post" has been presented. 

I had intended to speak of our noble " Womans' Relief 
Corps," which has done so much of our work, and per- 
formed it better than we could have done ; but space for- 
bids, and, besides, I am not in possession of sufficient data 
to do the subject justice. 

The relief work of the Post, under its second charter, 
has been very considerable, though I think not aggrega- 
ting as much as in the earlier days. To raise funds for this 
and other purposes, various means have been resorted to, 
such as lectures, concerts, suppers, etc. Sometimes a profit 
was made and sometimes a deficit was the result. 

On January 1, 1890, there were on the Post roster, three 
hundred and twenty-two names, members in good standing, 
being, I think, the largest Post in the State, except the 
"George N. Morgan Post No. 4," of Minneapolis. 

The charge sometimes made that the Post has been used 
for partisan purposes, we, who have been with it from the 
first, know to be without a particle of foundation. The 
statement that internal dissension had something to do 
with the suspension of meetings in 1877, is equally untrue. 
That unfortunate proceeding was purely a financial neces- 
sity, coupled with general lukewarmness on the part of a 
large number of its members. Some fifteen members 
pledged themselves to hold that charter and the organiza- 
tion—and the}' did. 

I have prepared and appended to this sketch, a full ros- 
ter of the officers of the Post from its organization, twenty 
years ago, to the present time ; and, also, a list of its mem- 
bers for the same period — not, of course, to be read to-night, 



32 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



but for future reference in case our records should be lost, 
or destroyed by fire. To compress twenty years of such 
history as Acker Post has had, into a paper of reasonable 
length, has been beyond my abilit}'. That its next twenty 
j'cars may be as free from just grounds for reproach, and 
as full of good works as the last, is the wish of 

Yours, in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty, 

JOSIAH B. CHANEY. 
St. Paul, Minn., April 10, 1890. 




SAINT I'AUL, MINNHSOTA 



33 



ROLL OF MEMBERS UNDER FIRST CHARTER. 
[charter membi;ks are indicated bv a ■] 



NAMES 

*Ashe]man, John B. 
Averill, lohn T. 
Abell, F. T. 

/Allen, James P. 
Atkinson, George 

*Browning, Geo. T. 

Brown, \Yra. H. 
*Becht,John C. 
*Bro\Yn, Francis G. 
*Brack, Benjamin 
*Bussee, Henry W. 

*Brack, Geo. M. 
Brissette, Edniond 
Bohrer, Zene C. 
Beers, James D. 
Blomquist, S. A. 
Bunker, Chas. S. 
Bresett, John B. 
Bovd, John S. 
Bo'vd, Walter B. 
Blase, E. P. 
Berry, Joel M. 

Becker, Rudolph A. 
Bloomer, Samuel, 
Brigham, Joseph L. 
*Bro\vn, Wm. H. 

Bircher, William, 
Blackman, W. H. 
Burr. Walter T. 
*Castle, Henry A. 

*Chaney, Josiah B. 
'Connolly, Alonzo P 

Currv, Joseph P. 

Clyde, W. J. 

Caele, Louis, 

Chapel, Chas. E. 

Cobb, Charles H. 

Craig, W. H, 



COMPANY AND REG'T. 

Indp't Batt" y A. Pa. Vols. 
— Hth Minn. Infantrv, 
C, 109th N. Y. Infantry, 
L, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 
I, 1st Alinn. Infantry and 
G, 8th Minn. Infantrv, 
O. M., U. S. Vols. 
G, 52d III. Infantry, 
— 5th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 5th Minn. Infantry, 

F, 11th Minn. Infantry, 
A, Brackett's Battalion 

Minn. CavaIr_Y 

G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
C, 1st Minn. Infantry, 
G, 10th Ind. Zouaves, 
G, 80th N. Y. Vols. 

E, 2d Minn. Infantrv, 
A, 22d N. Y. Infantry Vet. 
H, 8th Minn. Infantrv. 
K, 4th Minn. Infantrv Vet. 
E, 1st Minn. H. A. 

A, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 

E, 97th N. Y. Infantry 
Signal Corps, U. S. A. 

K. 26th Wis. Infantry, 

B, 1st Minn. Infantry, 

B, 1st Mass. H. Artillerv, 

B, 10th Mass. Infantry,' 

A, 61st Mass. Infantry, 
K, 2d Minn. Infantr}' Vet. 

C, 23d V. R. Corps. 
K, 3d Ohio Cavalrv, 
73d I!l. Infantrv, 
137th 111. Infantry 

2d Co. Minn. Sharpshoot'rs, 
— 6th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 113th 111. Infantrv, 
K, 2d Minn. Infantry, 

D, 5th Minn. Infantr}-, 
C, 5th Minn. Infantrv, 

F, 14th Mass. H. Artillery 
C, Bat. U. S. Engineers, 
K, 39th Wis. Infantrv, 

B, 48th Wis. Infantry, 



JOINED POST. 

April 26, 1870 
July 19, 1870 
Mav2, 1871 
March 5, 1872 

Julv 6, 1873 
April 8, 1870 
Oct. 4, 1875 
April 8, 1870 
April 12, 1870 
April 19, 1870 

April 19, 1870 
Mav 17, 1870 
April 11, 1871 
April 25, 1871 
April 25, 1871 
Feb. 27, 1872 
April 16, 1872 
May 21, 1872 
Julv 1, 1872 
April 14, 1873 
May 19, 1873 

May 4, 1874 
June 8, 1874 
Sept. 21, 1874 
Oct. 26, 1874 

April 8, 1870 
Oct. 18, 1875 

July 21, 1881 

April S, 1870 
April 8, 1870 
April 19, 1870 
julv 19. 1870 
Dec. 13, 1870 
Feb. 27, 1872 
May 21, 1872 

June 4, 1872 

Mav 19, 1873 



34 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



Caine, W. H. A, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

Chapron, Joseph F. A, 6th Minn. Infantrj', 
Davidson, James H. B, 14th Ky Infantry. 

— 122d U.'S. C. Infantry, 
11th Indp't Ohio Battery, 
G, 12th Ohio Vols. 
H, 2d U.S.C.L. Artillery, 
Indp't Bat'y A Penn. Vols. 
Donaldson, James H.C, 4th Minn. Infantry, 
Davis, Cushman K. B, 28th Wis. Infantry, 
G, 2d Mass. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantrj', 

A, 7th Minn. Infantr\', 

B, 20th Mass Infantrv, 
G, 11th U. S Infantry, 
G, 20th U. S. Infantry, 
B, 1st Minn. H. Artillerv, 
B, 2d Bat'n 16th U. S. Inf 
F, 29th Ind. Infantrv, 



*Dixon, Wm. H. 



'Dixon, J. Sanford, 



^Dillon, P. F. 
Dyer, Hiram, 
Dah^, James H. 
Derner, Robert G. 



Denoya, David, 

Durand, H. F, 

*Eller, Homer C 



Eldridge, E. Randall, B, 1 6th Maine Infantry, 



Emerson, H. S. 
Eagen, James, 
*Flower, Mark D. 
Frett, John Jr. 
Ford, JohnG. S. 
Fryer, Edwin L. 
Flynn, Nicholas, 
Finch, Marion F. 
Flanagan, James, 
Gerardin, August, 
Gibbens, John H. 
Green, Leroy, 

Hines, Henry A. C. 
Hare, Joseph Jr. 
Hill, Charles, 

Horn, William, 
Heath, Harvey J. 
Halsted, John T. 
Hettrich, Charles, 

Hawkins, W. D. 



E, 156th N. Y. Infantrv, 

D, 86th Ind. Infantrv, 

C, 7th 111. Infantrv, ' 
A, 13th 111. Cavalry, 
A, 37th N. J. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

E, 8th Minn. Infantrv, 
K, 5th N. Y. H. Artillerv, 
K, 10th Minn. Infantrv, 

E, 11th Minn. Infantry, 

D, 2d Minn. Infantry, 
G, 10th Ind. Infantry, 
— 154 Ind. Infantry. 
A, 1st Minn. Infantrv, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 
K, 7th R. I. Infantrj-', 

A, 119th U. S. C. T, 

G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

B, 10th U. S. Infantry, 
A, 1st Minn. Infantry, 

F, 21st N.Y. 

G, 12th N. Y. Cavalry, 

C, 7th 111. Infantrv, 

A, 36th 111. Infantrv, 
C, Hatch's Ind. Bat. Cav. 
K, 6th Wis. Infantry, 

B, 3d Minn. Infantry-, 



Hare, C. C. 

Hager, J. K. 

Hoit, James B, 

Holmes, A. B. 

Hughson, Egbert E. H, 8th Minn. Infantry, 

Holzheimer, Andreas, A, 104th N. Y. Infantry, 

Horchner,Frederick, K, 8th Minn. Infantry, 



May 3, 1875 
Sept 6, 1875 

April 8, 1870 



April 8, 1870 
April 8, 1870 
May 17, 1870 
May 7, 1872 
1872 
May 28, 1872 
May 5, 1873 



June 29, 1874 
July 6, 1874 

April 8, 1870 
July 5. 1872 
Jan. 13, 1873 
Nov. 9, 1874 
April 8, 1870 
June 13, 1871 
May 28, 1872 
Aug. 12, 1872 
April 7, 1873 
May 19, 1873 
April 13, 1874 
Aprilll, 1871 
Nov. 14, 1871 



May 17, 1870 
June 14, 1870 

July 5, 1870 
July 19, 1870 
Aug. 15, 1871 
Jan. 30, 1872 

Feb. 26, 1872 

Mar. 12, 1872 
Mar. 12, 1872 
July 1, 1872 
Sept, 2, 1872 
1872 
Feb. 3, 1873 
March 2, 1874 
May 25, 1874 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



35 



Hawley, Jesse B. 

Hazenwinkle, H. 

Hamilton, John C. 

Irwin, \V. K. 

Iltner. C. H. 
*Judson, Edward H. 
*}ohns, Henry T. 

Johnson, Wm. R. 

Johnson, A. G. 

Jarvis, Wm. II. 

Johnson, James H. 

Jones, Thomas, 
*Kimball, Hiram A, 
^Kennedy, David, 

Kiefer, Andrew R. 
Kelliher, John, 

*Leitner, J. P. 

'Lanpher, R. A. 
Lauer, Louis, 
Lower. Wm. H. 

Lawrence, James F 

Le Clair, Peter, 
Loyelin, Mathias, 
Lugg, Wm. ii's 

mark 

*McGill, Andrew R. 
*Murphv, John H. 

Mills, Henry L. 

McConkev, J. A. 

McGrath,'W. L. 

Meese, Jacob, 

McCard}', Joseph J. 

Alartensen, .\. W. 

Macey.J. P. 
Murphv, George, 
Mcllrath, J. P. 
Merritt, Joseph C. 
Musser, J. P. 
Mahle, William, 
Michalowski, \ 
T. B. Von. / 
Miller, Frank E. 
Nolan, James, 
Noves, A. P. 
Na'fey, Gilbert B. 
Nafey, Edwin R. 
3 



F, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 

F, 94-th 111. Infantry, 

G, -iSd Ohio Infantry, 

A, Sth Ind. Infantrv, 
H, 16th 111. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
61st Mass. Infantry, 

E, 1st Minn. Infantiv, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

F, 7th Minn. Infantrv, 

E, 18th Wis. Infantry' Vet. 

G, 2d Alinn. Cavalry, 
K, 151st N. Y. Inffintry, 

F, 20th Ohio Infantrv, 

G, 9th Ohio Cavalry.' 
G, 2nd Minn. Infantrv, 

F. 20th Mass. Infantry, 
Capt., U. S. A. 

E, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

D, 2d Minn. Infantry, 
C, 113th III. Infantry, 
I, 6th Ind. Infantry, 
K, 2nd Ky. Calvary, 

B, 3d Minn. Infantry, 

G, Sth 111. Cavalry, 
G, 6th Vt. Infantry, 

E, Sth Minn. Infantrv, 
A, 22d Ky. Infantry," 

C, 17th K3'. Infantry, 

D, 9th Miiin. Infantry, 
— Ith Minn. Infantry, 
H, 7th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 69th N. Y. Infantry, 

A, 45th Penn. Infantry, 
H, 10th Kv. Cavalry, 

B, 103d N. Y. Infantry, 
A, 10th U. S. Infantrv, 

E, 10th U. S. Infantrv, 
H, 9th K. I. Iniantrv' 

A, 23d Ohio Infantry, 

B, 103d Ohio Infantry, ■ 
G, 9th Iowa Infantry Vet. 
E, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 

C, 2d U. S. Infantry,' 
K. 1st U. S. Artillerv, 
I, 3d Minn. Infantry, 

I, 5th Minn. Infantrv Vet. 

Wis. 
A, 2d Minn. Cavalry, 
A, 2d Minn. Cavalrv, 



May 25, 1874 
Jan. 18, 1875 
May 1, 1876 
May 21, 1872 
Aug. 3, 1874- 
April 8, 1870 
April 8, 1870 
May 17, 1870 
May 24, 1870 
April 9, 1872 
Jan. 4, 1875 

April 8, 1870 

April 8, 1870 
May 28, 1872 

Mav 26, 1873 
April 8, 1870 
May 3, 1870 
Oct. 24, 1871 

May 14, 1872 

Mav 28, 1872 
Nov. 11, 1872 
Dec. 14, 1874 

Oct. 18, 1875 
April 8, 1870 
April 8, 1870 
June 14, 1870 
Julv 12, 1870 
April 18, 1S71 
April 18, 1871 
June 20, 1871 

Feb. 20, 1872 
Julv J, 1872 
Julv 5, 1872 
Jan. 13, 1873 
Feb. 3, 1873 
Jan. 25,1875 
Sept. 20, 1875 

Jan. 31,1876 
June 5, 1876 
Feb. 6, 1872 
1873 
Jan. 4, 1875 
Jan. 4, 1875 



H6 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



Noggle, Chas. L. 
Olson, John M. 
Osgood, Chas. H. 

*Penner, WilUatn, 
*Peck Wm. S. 

Palmer, Robert, 

Power, W. A. 

Perkins, A. G. 

Pratt, Roswell V. 

Plechner, B. H. 
Pa'vne, L. A. 
^oby, J. A. 
Roleau, Joseph, 
Roth, Christian, 
Race, Carleton W. 
Rigby, H. C. 
Rowie}-, Amos 0. 
Risch, John W. 
Roleau, Charles, 

Rish, William, 

Robinson, W. B. 

Richardson, W. H. 
*Rogers, Henry C. 
*Smith, John, 
*Sears, Oscar W. 

Sheire, Romaine, 
*Stewart, [acob H. 

Sherman, Marshall 

Shaw, John C. 

Sturtevant, S. A. 

Sutheimer, Chas. J. 

Schoenemann, R. 
V Shanlej.-, Frank, 
{ Schfefer, John, 

Strong, Robert J.' 

Smith, Joseph, 
Sander, Theodore, 

Sheldon, O. C. 
Sheldon, M. M. 
Schneller, Henry, 
Schroeder, John. 



2d Bat. Minn. L. Artillery, 
K, 2d Minn. Infantry Vet. 
C. Brackett's Batt'n 
Minn. Cavalry, 



C, 1st Minn. H. Arcillery, 

B, 9th 111. Cavalry Vet. 
F, 13th N. Y. Infantry, 
L, 8th N. Y. Cavalry, 

F, 1st Wis. Infantrv, 

G, -ith Wis. Cavalry, 

C, 6th N. Y. Engineers, 



M, 2d U. S. Artillerv, 
A, 6th Ohio Infantry Vet. 
Master's Mate U. S'. N. 
G, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 19th Wis. Infantrv, 
F, N. Y. H. Artillery", 
A, Hatch's Indp't Bat'n 

Minn. Cavalrv, 
I, -tth N. Y. M't'd Rangers 
K, 6th N. Y. Vet. Vols. 
C, 132d III. Infantry, 

[Not mustered.] 



F, 1st Mich. Engineers, 
— 1st Minn. Infantrx^, 

C, 1st Minn. Infantrv, 
A, 1st Bat. Minn. Inft'v, 

G, 40th N. Y. Infantrv,' 
A, 14th U. S. Infantry, 
G, 4th Wis. Cavalry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 
E, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
A, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantry, 

2d Co. Minn. Sharpsh't'rs, 
Hospital Steward U. S. A. 
E, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 
K, 27th Penu. Infantry, 
K, 3d U. S. Vet. Vols. 
G, 106th N. Y. Infantry, 
I, 142d N. Y. Infantry, 
K, 13th Conn. Infantry, 



May 10, 1875 
Aug 2, 1870 

Jan. 6, 1873 
April 8, 1870 
April 19, 1870 
Jan. 16. 1872 
Mar. 26, 1872 

Jan. 20, 1873 

Mav 19, 1873 
Sept. 27, 1875 

April 8, 1870 
April 11, 1871 
Feb. 13, 1872 
March 5, 1872 
April 2, 1872 
April 19, 1872 
Oct. 13, 1873 

Dec. 16, 1873 

June 1. 1874 
Jan. 25, 1875 



April 8, 1870 
Aprils, 1870 
Mav 24. 1870 
Jul.v 12, 1870 

July 19, 1870 

April 11, 1871 
Oct. 3, 1871 
Jan. 30, 1872 
Feb. 27, 1872 
May 21, 1872 
May 28, 1872 

May 28, 1872 
May 28, 1872 

July 1,1872 
July 5, 1872 
Aug. 12, 1872 
1872 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



37 



Seeger, Wm. Jr. 



Steenstra, Thos. H. 
Stevens, Edwin H. 
Strutzell, John, 
Scheffer, Albert, 

Temple, E. B. 

Temine, Charles, 

Tavlor, W. H. H. 

VaiiSIyke, Wm. A. 

Vanstriim, John K. 
*\Yhite, Trne S. 
*Woocl, Edward H. 
*Wav', yohn, 
^Wilson, Wdford C, 

Webster, Thos. F. 

Wright, John, 

Wilson, John D. 
Wheeler, H. N. 
Whittemore, J. A. 

Winship, Geo. B. 
Zimmermann, E. 0. 
Zimmermann, C. A. 
Total, 187. 



I, 5th Iowa Cavalry 
B, Brackett's Batt'n 

Minn. Cavalry. 
L, 1st N. Y. L. Artillery, 

B, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 1st Iowa Infantry, 

A, 39th Wis. Infantry, 

C, 45th Wis. Infantry, 

B, 27th Ohio Infantry Vet. 
E, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

— 5th Ohio Cavalry, 
G, 5th Minn. Infantry, 

D, 3d Minn. Infantry Vet. 

C, 93d Ohio Infantry, 

C, 7th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

N. C. S. nth Minn. Inft'y, 
G, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 61st Ohio Infantry, 
K, 119th V. R. Corps, 

D, 2d Minn. Infantry, 
A, 17th 111. Infantry, 

G, 1st Minn. M't'd Rangers, 
A, 1st Bat. Minn. Inft'y, 
A, 2d Minn. Cavalry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 



Feb. 3. 1874 
March 2, 1873 
April 20, 1874 
Sept. 20, 1775 

May 27, 1876 
Nov. 14, 1871 
Sept. 20, 1875 
July 21, 1881 
May 28, 1872 

April 8, 1870 
April 8, 1870 
ApriI19, 1870 
April 26, 1870 
Nov. 22, 1870 

April 11, 1871 
Aprilll, 1871 
Mar. 26, 1872 

June 11, 1872 
Jan. 4, 1875 
June 11, 1872 



ROLL OF MEMBERS UNDER SECOND CHARTER. 

[The following roll ok members includes all who joined 

THE POST between FEB. 9, 1882, (tHE DATE OF RE-ORGANIZA- 
TION,) AND DEC. 31, 1891. ThE CHARTER IS DATED MARCH 10, 

1882.] 

NAME. COMPANY AND REG'T. JOINED POST. 

Allie, James, 
Abbott, Phillip H, 
Armstrong, John H. 
Adams, J. B. 
Apgar, M. B, 
Allen, J. P. 
Amos, Jacob, 
Agnew, Ed. C. 
Aiken, Isaac, 
Avcrill, John T. 
Arbuckle S. C. Jr. 
Alexander, T. T. 
Alderman, C. E. 



D, 27th Wis, 


Infantry, 


July 12, 1883 


F, 41st Pa. 




Jan. 24, 1884 


E, 12th Ohio 


, 


April 10, 1884 


K, 6th Iowa 




July 3, 1884 


I, 9th Minn. 




Oct. 23, 1884 


L, 1st Minn. 


H. Artillery 


A3)ril 23, 1885 


E, 5th Minn, 


, Infantry, 


May 28, 1885 


A, 1st Minn. 


Infantry, 


Aug. 27, 1885 


H, 77th N. Y 


. Infantry, 


Sept. 24, 1885 


—6th Minn. ] 


[nfantr}'. 


Nov. 12, 1885 


A, 6th Minn. 


Infantry, 


Mar. 25, 1886 


B, 13th Ky. 


Infantry, 


Mar. 24, 1887 


D, 3d Wis, Infantry, 


April 14, 1887 



38 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



— 3d Minn. Infantry 
A, 5th Mass. Infantry, 
I, 5th 111. Cavalry, 
Surgeon, U. S. A. 
K, 3d Ohio Cavalry, 

F, 11th Minn. Infantry, 

G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 2d Minn. Infantry, 
U. S. Navv, 
G, 10th Ind. Zouaves, 
1st Bat. 1st Minn. L. A. 
— 10th Minn. Infantry, 
F, 11th Maine Infantry, 
A, Brackett's Battalion, 

Minn. Cavalr}^ 
H, 11th N. Y. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantrv, 

A, 152dN. Y. Infantr\% 
H, 214th Pa. Infantry, 
I, 16th Conn. Infantry, 
C, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 
C, 4-tth N. Y. Infantry, 

F, 2d Minn. Infantry, 

B, 44th Mass. Infantry, 

C, 50th N. Y. Engineers 
H, 4th Minn. Infantrj^ 
A, 1st Vt. Cavalry, 

Beri, Luis, (Cesare Bona) G, 9th N. J. Infantry 
Bishop, Judson W. —2d Minn. Infantry, 

U. S. Steamer Lancaster, 
A, 1st Minn. Infantry, 

G, 5th Iowa Cavalr3% 
—7th Minn. Infantrv, 

D, 1st Col. Cavalry, 
A, 26th Maine Infantry, 



Andrews, C. C. 
Anderson, Daniel, 
Andrews, Jno. 
Alden, C. H. 
Burr, Walter T. 
Brack, Benjamin, 
Brack, George M. 
Braden, W. W. 
Burger, Joseph, 
Bennett, Joseph S. 
Bohrer, Z. C. 
Bixler, Moses, 
Baker, James H. 
Burgess, Rufus N. 
Bohland, Adam, 

I Bragdon, Wm. W. 
Brunson, B. W. 
Barrv, Patrick, 
Brink, W. H. 
Bartlett, Andrew M. 
Burdick, John W. 
Bourne, W. R. 
Brennan, James, 
Bassford, E. P. 
Bovd, James. 
Beebee, I. H. B. 
Barber, Rufus G 



Barber, H. J. 
Brown, F. A. 
Bauer, J. G. 
Barton, Percival, 
Buck, George W. 
Boody, Clarendon B 



Beaulieu, Charles H. G, 9th Minn. Infantry, 



Becker, R. A. 
Beach, S. A. 
Beck, E. S. 
Brissett, J. B. 
Barrett, Albert J. 
Bourne, Franklin, 
Bovd, Walter B. 
Bloomfield, R. D. 
Bieber. J. P. W. 
Burnett, Giles, 
Byrne, P. H. 
Burns, W. H. 
Barker, Alonzo, 
Buckman, Jacob, 



K, 25th Wis. Infantrv, 
G, 64th N. Y. Infantry, 
A, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 8th Minn. Infantrv. 

A, 12th Wis. Infantrv, 
C, 46th Wis. & 1st Wis. 
E, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 
2d Bat. Minn. L. Art. 

B, 47th Ga. Infantry, 

E, 104th Ohio Infantry, 
A, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 9th N. Y. Infantry, 
A. 1st U. S. Cavalry, 

F, 7th Minn. Infantry, 



Feb. 9, 1888 
Sept. 13, 1888 
Julv 14, 1882 
Aug. 13, 1891 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar. 23, 1882 
Mav 23, 1882 
May 23, 1882 
Aug. 10, 1882 
Nov. 23, 1883 

Nov. 23, 1883 
Mar. 13, 1884 
May 8, 1884 
Mav, 8, 1884 
Julv 17, 1884 
Feb. 16, 1885 
Mar. 12, 1885 
Mar. 26, 1885 
April 23, 1885 
Mav 28, 1885 
June 11, 1885 
Nov. 12, 1885 
Jan. 17, 1886 
Mav 27, 1886 
June 10, 1886 
Nov. 25, 1886 
Nov. 25, 1886 
Dec. 9, 1886 
Aug. 11, 1887 
Oct. 13, 1887 
Oct. 13, 1887 
Feb. 9. 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
April 26. 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Oct. 25, 1888 
Dec. 13, 1888 
Dec. 13, 1888 
Feb. 14, 1889 
Feb. 28, 1889 
Feb. 28. 1889 
Mar. 25, 1889 
April 25, 1889 
April 25, 1889 
July 12, 1889 
Aug. 10, 1889 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



39 



Bement, Edward P. 
Bauer, Jacob, 
Brown, Win. H. 

Castle. H. A. 
Chapel, Charles E. 
Chanev, Josiah B. 
Clifford, Robert W. 
Canfield, Wm. W. 
Chapron, Joseph F. 
Condit, A.'D. 
Cutnmings, Edward 
Champlin, Henrv, 
Clark, A. E. 
Covert, H. H. 
Cumings, C. S. 
Conwav, James E. 
Cole, Ira, 
Comfort, 0. H. 
Carver, H. L. 
Crossway, Turner, 
Cross, George W. 
Clark, George W. Jr 
Cunningham, Wm. 
Canada, Samuel, 
Connor, Dennis, 
Corning, Edward, 
Chapman, F. A. 
Cassels, Jno. 
Crego, D. H. 
Clifford, R. W. 
Carron, Phillip, 
Coonev, Patrick, 
Clapp.'W. D. 
Cooley, James M. 
Davidson, J. H. 

Dixon, W. H. 



Doran, F. B. 
Downs, S. D. 

Dixon, Wm. 

De Rusha, Octavo, 

Delauey, Andrew, 

Doherty, Timothy, 
Dalv, James H. 
Davis, C. K. 
Drake, J. H. 



F, 120th N. Y. Infantry, Feb. 13, 1890 
E, 1st Minn, M'd Rang'rs, Oct. 23, 1890 

B, 10th Mass. Infantry, 
A, 61st Mass. Infantrv, 
—73d 111. Infantry, 

C, 5th Minn, Infantr3', 
2d Co. Minn. Sharpsh't'rs 

E, 33d Wis. Infantrv, 
K, 1st N. Y. L. Artillery, 

A, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 

C, 133d Ind, Infantrv, 

F, 35th 111. Infantrv, 

D, 30th Wis. Infantry, 
Conn. Light Artillerv, 

E, l-i8th'N. Y. Infantrv, 

G, 29th Mich. Infantry, 
G, 4th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 7th Minn. Infantrv, 
E, 30th Wis. Infantry, 
G, Hth Minn. Infantry, 
G, 13th U. S. C. T. 
E, 95th Penn. Infantry, 

B, 4th Mich. Cavalrv, 
1st N. Y. Cavalry, 
B, 121st U. S. C. I. 
2d Co. Minn. S. S. 
R.O M. 85thN. Y. Inf'tv, 
A, 7th Mich. Cavalrv, 
H, 170th N. Y. Infantry, 
H, 6th Minn. Infantrv, 

E, 33d Wis. Infantry,' 
A, 1st New Orleans, 

A, Ind. Bat'n Minn. Cav. 
G, 76th 111, Infantry, 

F, 45th Pa. Infantry, 

B, 14th Kv. Infantrv, 
— 122d U. S. C. T. 
llthlnd'p't Ohio Bat. 

G, 12th Ohio Vols. 
H, 2d U. S. C. L. Art'v, 
I, 52d 111. Infantry, 

D, 4th Conn. Infantrv, 
B. 12th, Conn. Infantry, 

E, 1st Bat'n Minn. Inf'try, Nov. 27, 1884 
A. 21st Wis. Infantry, Aug. 6, 1885 
E, 1st Minn. Mounted Ran- 



Mar. 23, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9. 1882 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 23, 1882 
Mav 11, 1882 
Jan. 11, 1883 
Jan. 24, 18S4 
Tan. 24, 1884 
Mar. 13, 1884 
June 26, 1884 
July 17, 1884 
Mar. 26, 1885 
April 23, 1885 
Mav 28, 1885 
Julv 9, 1885 
Oct. 22, 1885 

Jan. 17, 1886 
Jan. 17, 1886 

Sept. 9, 1886 
Julv 14, 1887 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Oct. 25, 1888 
Dec. 13, 1888 
Aug. 9, 1888 
April 25, 1889 
Mav 11, 1889 
June 9, 1889 
Mar. 27, 1890 
Mar. 2, 1882 

Mar. 9, 1882 



Feb. 28, 1884 
Mar. 22, 1884 

Oct. 9, 1884 



gers, 
E, 16th Ind. Infantry, 

A, 7th Minn. Infantrv, 

B, 28th Wis. Infantrv, 
A, 137th Ohio Infantrv, 



Jan. 17, 1886 
Feb. 24, 1887 
Mav 26, 1887 
Nov. 10, 1887 
Feb. 9, 1888 



40 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



Daly, Peter, 
Davis, John E. 
Dillon, Philip F. 
Davis, H. N. 

Dunlap, Joseph F. 
Dohm, Fred, 

Espy, John, 
Egan, James J. 
Eggleston, Ira E. 
Evans, Page M. 

Eisenmenger, Louis, 
Eggleston, Reuben D, 
Eller, Homer C. 
Eberman, W. S. 
Esterley, Charles A. 
Erickson, Andrew, 
Elvidge, Frank H. 
Emery, Louis, 
Edenholm, C. J. 
Evans, E. D. 
Emmerson, H. E. 
Evans, Robt. K. 
Flvnn, Nicholas, 
Finch, F. M. 
{/ Fales, Grenville, 
Flower, Mark D. 
Fryer, Edwin L. 
Fairchild, Frank, 
Fenton, Daniel, 
Forbes, T. W, 
Fritsch, Fred O. 
Fernald, Cassius M. 



Fassett, A. P. 
Fralick, L. M. 
Falkner, Frederick, 
Fahev, Lawrence, 
Fuller, P. W. 
Farrall, Wm. 
Funk, Edward J. 
Griswold, Charles, 
Gardner, Harvey R. 
Gregg, Josiah C. 
Grant, Hiram P. 
Gibbens, John H. 
Goodwin, Parker. 
Griswold, W. \V. 



/ 



K, 1st U. S. Infantry, 
E, 30th Wis. Infantry, 
G, 2d Mass. L. Artillerv, 
Capt. and Bvt. Maj. U. J 

Vols. 
I, 34th Penn. Infantry, 

A, 1st Minn. Infantry, 
2d Minn. Infantry, 

E, 1st Iowa Vols. 

B, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 

D, 10th Minn. Infantry, 

E, 60th N. Y. 

B, U. S. Eng. Corps, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 26th Iowa Infantry, 

F, 29th Ind. Infantry, 

E, 8th Minn. Infantry, 

B, 9th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
A, 150th Penn. Infantrv, 

F, 2d U. S. Artillery, 

I, 29th Mich. Infantry, 

C, 31st Missouri Infantry 

G, 2d Wis. Infantry, 

A, 118thN. Y. Infantry, 
E, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 5th N. Y. H. Artillerv, 
H, 8th Minn. Infantry,' 

C, 7th Ills. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
E, 79th Ohio Infantry, 
I, 71st N. Y. Infantry, 
H, 148th Ohio Infantry, 

A, 6Sth N. Y. Infantry, 

B. U. S. Eng. Corps, 
B. U. S. Col. Infantry, 

D, Batt'n U. S. Engineers, 
E, 1st Me. H. Artillerv, 
K, 5th Ohio Cavalrv, 

A, 1st Vt. Cavalry, ' 
H, 1st N. Y. V. Eng. 

E, 6th Ohio Infantrv, 
K, 48th Wis. Infantrv, 
9th Wis. L. Bat'y. 

1st Minn. H. Artillery, 

F, 148th N. Y. Infantry, 
U. S. Marine Corps, 

A, 6th Minn. Infantr}', 
D, 2d Minn. Infantr}-, 
D, 1st Mass. Infantrv, 
H, 30th Ind. Infantry. 
152d Ind. Infantry, 



Feb. 9, 18S8 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 

Feb. 9, 1888 
April 26, 1888 

Mav 11, 1882 
Feb. 9. 1882 
April 26, 1883 
Feb. 28, 1884 

July 3, 1884 
Mar. 26, 1885 
Mar. 26, 1885 
April 23, 1885 
May, 14, 1885 
May 28, 1885 
May 28. 1885 
July 9, 1885 
Oct. 22, 1885 
Aug. 12, 1886 



Nov. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Mar. 
Mar. 
Mar. 
Mar. 
Feb. 
Mar. 



22, 1888 
13, 1890 

9, 1882 
9, 1882 
9, 1882 
9, 1882 
9, 1882 
9, 1882 

23, 1882 
28, 1884 
13, 1884 



April 10, 1884 
July 17, 1884 
Mav 28, 1885 
Sept. 24, 1885 
Mar. 25. 1886 
Feb. 9, 18SS 
June 9, 1889 
Julv 9, 1891 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Jan. 10, 1884 
Mav 22, 1884 
Mav 22, 1884 
Jiilv 3, 1884 
July 10, 1884 

July 10, 1884 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



+ 1 



Granger, Martin S. 
Gorman, R. L. 
Gordon, Ebenezer, 
Gordon, James, 
Gribben, \Vm. C. 
Garrity, F. D. 

Gillard, Nicholas, 
Gross, Phillip, 
Gillett, A. W. 
Greenlee, D. R. 
HoUister, U. S. 
Higbee, C. G. 
/ Racket, C. W. 
Hughson, E. E. 
Hawkins, W. D. 
Hawlev, Alfred C. 

Hubbard, Lucius F. 

Haight, John W. 

Humphrej', Robert B, 

Hager, J. K. 

Hare, C. C. 

Hall, S. T. 

Hardacre, G. W. 

Herb. Charles K. 

Howard. W. H. 

Hamilton, Geo. F. 

Hill, Albert, 

,Higgins. E. B. 
/Hixon, Charles, 
f Hill, Franklin G. 

Harris. John W. 

Hoyt, Wm. H. 

Herman. Joseph, 

Herr, Henry, 

Harrington, Inman. 

Harris, M. 

Heald, Henrv P. 

Havens, C. t. 

Hand, D. W. 

Hicks, B. W. 

Hagerman, O. S. 

Hawle}', Ramsom E. 

Hynes, James, 

Hanmore, H. B. 

Hinds, James, 

Irvine, Benjamin F. 

Ireland, M. H. 

Johnson, W. R. 



C, 11th Mass. Infantry, 
I, 1st Minn. Infantry, 

D, Slst Ind. Infantry, 
T'. S. S. Osceola, V. S'. N. 
G, I12th Ohio Infantry, 
G, 15th Kv. Infantry, 

Capt. U. vS. Army, 

E, 39th U. S. C. Infantry, 
K, Sth Minn. Infantry, 
K, 37th N. Y. Militia," 
—Sth Penn. H. A. 
K, 13th Wis. Infantry, 
—12th Wis. Infantry, 
C, 11th Minn. Inlantry, 
H, Sth Minn. Infantry, 
C, 7th 111. Infantry, 
K. Brackett's Battalion 

Minn. Cavalry, 
— Sth Minn. Infantry 
I, 75th N. Y. Infantry, 

F, 122d N. Y. Infantry, 
K, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

C, Sth Iowa Cavalry, 

D, 132d Penn. Infantry, 

D, 3d Ohio Infantry, 
C, 47th Penn. Infantry, 

B, 5th Iowa Infantr3% 
I, S6th Ohio Infantry, 
H, 6th Iowa Infantry, 
I, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 

E, 4th Mich. Cavalry, 
H, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 13Sth III. Infantry,' 

F, 1st Minn. Infantry, 
K, 7th Minn. Infantry, 

C, 13th Iowa Infantry, 

U. S. Navy, 

K, 7th 111. Cavalry, 

F, 26th Ind. Infantry, 
Sunzeon 1st Minn. Infantry, 
E, ilth Mich. Infantry, 

H, 120 0. V. & 163 O.N. G. 
A, 7Sth Ind. Infantr}-, 
E, 6th Wis. Infantry, 

G, 19th N. Y. Infantry, 
G, 11th Minn. Infantrv, 

D, 2d Minn. Infantry, ' 
H, 6th Minn. Infantry, 

E, 1st Minn. Infantry, 



Oct. 8, 1S8S 
April 22. 1886 
May 13, 1886 
Nov. 11, 1886 
Dec. 23, 1886 

April 26, ISSS 
Nov. 8, 1888 
Aug. 9, 1888 
Dec. 26, 1889 
Sept. 25, 1890 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882. 
Mar. 9, 1882 



Nov. 22, 
Feb. 28, 
April 10 
April 10 
June 19, 
July 17, 
July 17, 
July 17, 
Aug. 14, 
Sept. 25, 
April 23, 
April 23, 
May 28, 
June 25, 
Aug. 27, 
Nov. 12, 
Feb. 25, 
Ma'-. 25 
June 10, 



1883 
1884 
1884 
, 1884 
1884 
1884 
1884 
1884 
1884 
1884 
1885 
1885 
1 885 
1885 
1885 
1 885 
1886 
. ] 886 
1886 



April 14, 1887 
May 26, 1887 
Aug. 11, 1887 
May 24, 18SS 
Oct. 11, 1888 
Aug. 9, 1888 
Tunel, 1882 
May 11, 1889 
July 12, 1889 
Oct. 23, 1890 
Mar. 23, 1882 
Oct. 2.=^, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1882 



42 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



Joy, Henry M. 
Jerome, Peter, 
Judson, Ed.H. 
Jansen, Jacob, 
Johnston, \Y. H. H. 
Judd, John H. 
Joubert, Charles V. 
Johnson, R. W. 
Jones, Samuel H. 
Johnson, James, 
Jewett, R. H. L. 
Jenkins, I. R. 
Joy, John M. 
Johnson, J. B. 
Johnson, Geo. J. 
/ Kingsbury, D. L. 
Kiefer, Andrew R. 
Kittleson, Charles, 
Kelsey, Wallace, 
Kennedy, D. 

Kerr, Charles D. 
Kellogg, C. H. 
Kuhm, Henr\', 
King, Josias R. 

Krch, F. A. 
Kelsaj', Curtis, 
Kribs, David, 
Kuhl, C. A. 
Knight, 0. M. 
Kuhl, Bernhard, 
Konantz, C. G. 
Krapfel, J. W. 
Koenig, J. G. 
Lightbourn, E. S. 
Leitner, J. P. 
Larkin, J. P. 
Loeffelholz, Conrad, 
Latham, Charles, 
Lyons, Thomas, 
Lathrop, Geo. W. 
Lewis, George R. 

Loftis, Patrick, 
Ludwig, Leonard, 
/ Latturelle, Geo. W. 
Lowe, Wm. C. 
Lyons, Winfield S. 
Libbey, E. D. 
Lucas, W. 



H, 11th Iowa Infantr3', 
E, 4th Minn. Infantr3', 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
L, 3d Wis. Cavalry, ' 
G, 13th N. Y. Infantry, 
A, 27th Mass. Infantry, 
K, 4th Wis. Cavalrv, 
C, 6th U. S. Infantry, 
C, 2d N. Y. Cavalrv, 
H, 86th U. S. C. Infantry, 
E, 2d Mass. Infantr3^ 

C, 39th 111. Infantry, 

I, 32d Maine Infantry, 
E, 72d N. Y. Infantry, 
N. C. S. 8th 111. Cavalry, 
E, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 2d Minn. Infantr\', 

E, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
A, 12th Wis. Infantry, 

F, 20th Ohio Infantry, 

G, 9th Ohio Cavalrv, 

D, 16th 111. Infantry, 

D, 34th N.Y. Infantry, 
H, 7th N. Y. Infantry, 

A, 1st Minn. Infantrj^, 
2d U. S. Vol. Infantry, 

B, 13th U. S. Infantry, 

C, 21st Wis. Infantry, 

A, 14th 111. Infantry, 
I, 1st Minn. Infantry, 
4th N. Y. Cavalrv, 
A, 137th 111. Infantry, 
G, 1st Iowa Cavalry, 

A, 13th 111. Cavalry, 
H, 7th Minn. Infantry, 

E, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
C, 20th Mich. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 2d Minn. Infantry, 

I, 3d Mich. Cavalrv, 

B, 117th N. Y. Infantry, 
Ass't Sur. 54th Penn. Inf. 
Surgeon 61st Penn. Inf. 
G, 4th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 1st Neb. Yet. Cavalry, 
H, 8th Minn. Infantry, " 

C, 84th Penn. Infantry, 
U.S. Navy, 

6th Me. Light Artillery, 
A, 7th Ohio Infantr\-, 



Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Dec. 25, 1884 
April 23, 1885 
Nov. 12, 1885 
Nov. 26, 1885 
Mar. 25, 1886 
Oct. 14, 1886 
Sept. 8, 1887 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Tune 14, 1888 
Mar. 12, 1891 
Aug. 13, 1891 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
May 22, 1884 

Oct. 9, 1884 
April 23, 1885 
May 14, 1885 
Oct.' 22, 1885 

Nov. 12, 1885 
Jan. 17,1886 
May 10, 1887 
June 14, 1888 
Feb. 28, 1889 
Mar. 14, 1889 
May 8, 1890 
Aug 28, 1890 
Sept 25, 1890 
July 9, 1891 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar, 23, 1882 
Mar. 13, 1885 
July 17, 1884 
Oct. 9, 1884 
Jan. 8, 1885 

Alar. 12, 1885 
April 9, 1885 
May 28, 1885 
May 28 1885 
Mar. 11, 1886 
April 28. 1887 
Feb. 9, 1888 
May 24, 1888 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



43 



Lewis, Washington, 
Luhrsen, H. 
Livingston, S. D. 
Leavitt, Weslev, 
McGill,A. R. 
McCardy, J. J. 
Mathews, H. D. 
Murphy, J. H. 
McCoiikey, J. A. 
Merritt, Charles E. 
Marshall, William R. 

Mead, Warren H. 
McCloud, D. Hance, 
Mead, William H. 
Martin, Joseph, 
Mead, Peter, 
Miller, David A. 
Moorman, B. 
Mathews, Walter D. 
Martin, M. P. 
McLaren, Robert N. 
McCartney, Henry, 
Miller, Michael A. 
Mclntyre, William H. 
Mullan, A. W. 
Martensen, A. W. 

Messenger, Addis E. 
McAfee, N. 
McGinley, E. H. 
Alakinsen, J. W. 
Moak, John A. 
Merritt, A. J. 
McEwen, D. H. 
MacCauley, Clay, 
Marx, Isaac, 
Malay, Hugh, 
Mahan, Isaac L. 
Mosher, A. 
Malloy, Hugh, 
McAfee, Geo. F. 
Morgan, Adam, 
McCullough, J. A. 
McKay, Albert M. 
Meyer, Chas. F. 
Madigan, Patrick, 
McGuirc, Hugh, 
Morgan, Isaac D. 
Murphv, James, 
Nafie, G. B. 



A, l-ith U. S. C. Infantry, 
C, 3d N. Y. Infantry, 

E, 99th 111. Infantry, 

C, 33d III. Infantry. 

D, 9th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 10th Ky. Cavalry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
Surgeon 4-th Minn. Inf. 
G, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 150th Ohio Infantry, 
K, Sth Minn. Infantry,' 

— 7th Minn. Infantry, 

F, Gth Kj'. Cavalry, 

G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
I, S3d Peun. Infantr3', 
K, 3d Vt. Intantrv, 

I, 18th Wis. Infantry, 
C, 25th U. S. C. Infantry, 

B, 4th Minn. Infantry, Vet. 

E, 20th N. Y. Cavalry, 
H, 2d 

—2d Minn. Cavalry, 

E, 194th Ohio Infantry, 

A, 9th Wis. Infanti-y, ' 
H, 9th N. Y. Artillery, 

B, 103d N. Y. Infantry, 

A, 10th U. S. Infantry, 

C, 23d V. R. C. 

G, 139th Ind. Infantry, 

F, 4th Penn. Cavalry, 

B, 16th Ind. Infantry, 
H, 21st Wis. Infantry, 
K, Eng. Regt. of West. 
A, 194th Penn. Infantry, 

D, 126th Penn. Infantry, 

C, 12th Mich. Infantry', 

C, 11th Ind. &133d Ind. 
K, 17th N.Y. Infantry, 
A, 50th Wis. Infantry, 
A, 3d Mo. Cavalrv, ' 
K, 32nd Ohio Infantry, 

C, 5Sth Penn. Mil. of '63, 

D, 6th Iowa Cavalry, 

G, 2d Minn. Infantry, 

A, 16th U. S. Infantry, 

B, 1st Bat. Minn. Inf. 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 59th Ind. Infantry, 
A, 2d Minn. Cavalry, 



Dec. 27, I.SSS 
Dec. 26, 1S,S9 
Feb. 27, 1S90 
Mar. 21, 1.S91 
Feb. 23, 1S,S2 
Mar. 9, 1SS2 
Mar. 9, 1882 

Mar. 23, 1884 
Dec. 13, 1883 

Feb. 28, 1884 
Feb. 28, 1884 
May 22, 1884 
July 10, 1884 
July 24, 1884 
July 17, 1884 
Sep't. 11, 1884 
Oct. 9, 1884 
Jan. 25, 1885 
Mar. 26, 1885 
April 23, 1885 
June 25, 1885 
Aug. 6, 1885 
Aug. 6, 1885 



Feb. 25, 1886 
June 10, 1886 
Aug. 12, 1886 
Mar. 24, 1887 
Feb. 9. 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
April 26, 1888 
Mar. 12, 1885 
Jan. 26, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Aug. 9, 1888 
July 12. 1889 
Aug. 10, l.s.sO 
Sept. 12, is,s9 
Feb. 13, 1890 
Feb. 13, 1890 
Sept. 25, 1890 
Mar. 12, 1891 
Aug. 13. 1891 
April 23, 1891 
April 23, 1891 
April 23, 1891 
Feb. 23, 1882 



44 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST 



Nolan, Robert, 
Noble, H. C. 
Naylor, W. A. 
Nebel, Chas. 
Neihart, Chas. 
O'Connor, M. J. 
O'Gorman, William, 
O'Brien, James, 
Officer, Harvey, 
O'Neil, John, 
Otto, Gustave, 

Pratt, R. V. 

Plechner, B. H. 
Fritz, William H. 
Priest, George E. 
Perkins, Norman, 
Parker, Charles D. 
Petter, John G. 
Prendergast, M. R. 
Pugh, Archelaus, 
Perkins, E. B. 
Price, T. J. 
Parker, E. D. 
Phillips, Samuel D. 
Peterson, Charles G. 
Pierce, Edward R. 
Potts, Philip, 
Quick, Henry B. 
Q uinn, John, 
Riddell, John J. 
Richards, Edward, 
Roth, Christian, 
Risch, John W. 
Roehl, Anton, 
Ryan, John O. 

Raymond, C. C. 
Ries, Gottfried, 
Reddick, Charles, 
Rundle, C. W. D. 
Robinson, William, 
Rose, Gideon, 
Riley, Thomas, 
Russell, H. Y. 
Rodgers, A. F. 
Ross, Isaac B. 
Roach, M. T. 
Sleppy,W.J. 



I, 5th Minn. Infantry, 
I, 2d Mich. Infantry, 
C, 41st Wis. Infantry, 
H, 1st Minn. &9U.S. Vols. 
H, 1st Minn. Infantry, 
K, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
K, 10th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 10th Minn. Infantry, 

E, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 
I), 81st N. Y. Infantry, " 

A, Brackett's Bat. Minn. 
Cavalry, 

F, 1st Wis. Infantry, 

G, 4th Wis. Cavalry, 

C, 6th N. Y. Engineers, 

B, 93d Ohio Infantry, 
G, 11th Mo. Infantry, 
G, 56th N. Y. Infantry, 

D, 113th Ohio Infantry, 

E, 5th Minn. Infantry, 
H, 10th Minn. Infantry, 

B, 9th III. Vet. Cav. 
A, 4th Wis. Cavalry, 

C, lS6th Penn. Infantry, 

A, 87th Ohio Infantry, 

B, 29th 111. Infantry, 
K, 43d 111. Infantry, 

D, 67th N. Y. Infantry, 
D, 2d Minn. Infantry, 
L, 1st Iowa Cavalry, 

F, 132d N. Y. Infantry, 
H, 127th N. Y. Infantry, 
K, 8th Minn. Infantry, 

A, 6th Ohio Infantry, 

F, Sth N. Y. H. Artillery, 

G, 6th Minn. H. Infantry, 
Steamer Water Witch, U. S. 

Navy, 

D, 2d Ohio Cavalry, 
2d Bat. 1st Wi.s. L' Art. 

E, 36th U. S. C. Infantry, 

C, 16th N. Y. Infantry, 

D, 18th Wis. Infantry, 

C, 2d Bat'n U. S. Inlantry, 

F, 7th Wis. Infantry, 

G, 10th N. Y. Infantry, 

B, 12th Iowa Infantry, 
G, 33d Wis. Infantry, 

C, 6th Iowa Infantry, 
C, 52d Penn. Infantry, 
C, 199th Penn. Infantry, 



May 14, 1885 
MaV 28, 1885 
Dec. 23, 1886 
Aug. 9, 1888 
Jan. 23, 1890 
Dec. 13, 1883 
July 10, 1884 
May 14, 1885- 
July 9, 1885 
Jan. 26, 1888 

Aug. 13, 1891 

Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 28, 1884 
May 22, 1884 
Mar. 26, 1885. 
June 11, 1885 
Aug. 6, 1885 
Mar. 25, 1885. 
Mar. 25, 1886- 
Mav 26, 1887 
Feb. 9, 1888 

Nov. 22, 1888. 
Feb. 28, 1889 
July 12, 1889 
Nov. 12, 1891 
Feb. 12 1885 
Nov. 22, 1888. 
July 12, 1888 

May 10, 1888 
Oct. 22, 1885 
Nov. 12, 1885 

Jan. 13, 1887 
Tune 9. 1887 
July 14, 1887 
Sept. 8,1887 
Nov. 9. 1883 
Feb. 9, 1888 
July 14, 1887 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Oct. 11, 1888 
Feb. 28, 1889 
Oct. 11, 1888 
May 22, 1890 

Feb. 9, 1882 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 



45 



Stevens. E. H. 
Simonton, Edward, 
Schenck, Wilkens, 
Scheffer, Albert, 

Steenstra, T. H. 
Smith, A. T. 
Sutheimer, C. J. 
Stees, Charles J. 

Smith, James, 

Skillman, William, 

Smith, Adolph, 
Swank, David, 
Stiefel, Reinhard, 
Scherfenberg, Fred. 
Stieger, F. J. 
Smith, John H. 
Sheire, Romaine, 
Schnell, August, 
Sibley, Henry H. 
Swisher, Fred S. 
Searls, Robert R. 
Schultz, Charles, 
Storv, Louis M. 
Staricey, Ed. C. 
Seegar, William Jr. 
Stahl, A. H. 
Smith, F. W. 
Speth, Andrew, 
Stout, H. G. 
Screeton, Thomas, 
Siebold, F. 
Starkweather, P. 
Smallev, E. V. 
Silvis, W. L. 
Swan, Eugene, 
Sullivan, Thos. 
Sellerk, W. W. 
Smith, J. W. 

Smallwood, W. II. 
Smith, Joseph, 
Sunibardo, C. L. 
Swab, John J. 
vStoner,'D. P. 
Sweet, Geo. A. 
Strong, R. J. 



B. 10th Minn. Infantrv, Feb. 9, 1882 

B, 33d Mass. Infantrv^ Feb. 9, 1882 
A, 7th N. Y. Infantrv, Feb. 23, 1882 
A, 39th Wis. Infantrv, 

C, 4-5th Wis. Infantry, Mar. 9, 1882 
L, 1st N. Y. L. Artillerv, Mar. 9, 1882 

F, 5th Minn. Infantry," Mar. 9, 1882 

G. 6th Minn. Infantry, Dec. 13, 1883 
G, 4-th Penn. Infantry, 

G, 6th Minn. Infantrv, Mar. 13, 18.S-i 

D, U. S. Artillerv, 

5th N. Y. Batterv, Aug. 28, 1884 

G, 3d N. 1. Vet. Vols. 

7th U. S. Infantrv, Oct. 23, 1884 

E, 2d U. S. Cavalrv, Nov. 27, 1884 

C, 12th Ind. Infantrv, Mar. 12, 1885 

E, 6th Minn. Infantrv, April 23, 1885 

D, 1st Minn. Infantrv, April 23, 1SS5 
Chicago B. of T. Batt'y, April 23, 1885 

F, — Minn. Cavalrv, May 14, 1885 
F, 1st Mich. Engineers, May 28, 1885 

A, 11th Minn. Infantry, May 28, 1S85 
Brig. Gen. U. S. Vols. May 28, 1885 
H, 7th Ohio Infantrv, Aug. 6, 1885 

D, 92d N. Y. Infantry, Aug. 6, 1885 

E, 27th Iowa Infantry, Aug. 6, 1885 

B, 72d N. Y. Infantry, Aug. 27, 1885 
M, 1st Minn. M. Rangers, Dec. 10, 1885 
I, 5th Iowa Cavalry, Jan. 28, 1886 
D, 4th Wis. Infantry, Mar. 11, 1S8& 

F, 1st Kansas Infantry, Sept. 9, 1886 
F, 12th 111. Infantry, Dec. 9, 1886 

F, 9th Iowa Infantry. Sept. 8, 1887 
L, 1st U. S. Vet. Eng. Sept. 8, 1887 

B, 26th Wis. Infantrv, Feb. 9, 1888 
I, 9th Mich, Infantry, Feb. 9, 1888 

D, 7th Ohio Infantry, May 24, 1888 
I, 8th Minn. Infantrv, Oct. n, 1888 
K, 1st West Va. Cavalrv Aug. 9, 1888 

C, 18th N. Y. Infantry, Aug. 10, 1889 
M, 4th Mo. Cavalry, Aug. 10, 1889 

G, Purnell Legion, 

E, 1st Md. Infantrv, Aug. 24, 1889 
\, 1st Kansas Infantry, Sept. 12, 1889 
E, Gth Minn. Infantry, Sept. 12, 18S9 
I, 12th Iowa Infantrv, Oct. 10, 1889 
H. 2d Pen. Pro. Cavalry, Nov. 14. 1889 
B, 57th 111. Infantrv, Nov. 28, 1889 
E, 89th 111. Infantry, Feb. 27. 1890 
2d Co. Minn. Sharpshoot'rs, 

Hospital Steward, U. S. A. Feb, 27, 1890 



46 



HISTORV OF ACKER POST 



Savage, E. P. 
Teeple, A. V. 
Taylor, W. H. H. 
Tripp, Albert, 
Thompson, William, 
Thompson, Joshua, 
Thompson, C. J. 
Taylor, Schn3-ler M. 
Tearne}^ Patrick, 
Truax, Charles, 
Troost, E. L. 
Tavlor, E. H. D. 
Thaver, ].N. 
Thorn, Wm. S. 
Trowbridge, S. C. 
Underbill, 0. B. 
Virtue, George J. 
Winchell, P. D. 
Way, John, 
Wilson, W. C. 
Walker, George, 
White, T. S. 
Wood, James D. 
Westenhagen, A. 
Walker, Samuel A. 
Wood, Andrew B. 
Wood, John W. 

Wea verso n, C. J. 
Wilson, William, 
Whitman, C. C. 
White, George Q. 
Wright, B. F. 
W^arner, William, 
Woodward, Geo. B. 
Weniple, \Villiam J. 
Winn, Ambrose W. 
Wilhelmy, Peter, 
White, M. A. 
Williamson, E. J. 
Wigle}', Joshua, 
Wyman, Andrew, 
Wells, M. C. 
Yeager, Charles F. 
Yates, B. G. 
Zimmermann, E. 0. 
Zimmermann, C. A. 

Note— The date given should in all eases be that of joining this Post: but 1 
found and corrected several where, in admission on Transfer Card, the date was 
that of joining the Post granting the Card. 



G, 100th 111. Infantry, 
H, 8th III. Cavalry, ' 
— 5th Ohio Cavalr}', 
A, 7th Minn. Infantry-, 
E, 1st Batfn Minn. Inf. 
H, 7th Wis. Infantry, 
I, 16th N. Y. Cavalry 
A, 2Sth Wis. Infantry, 
E, 1st Minn. H. Artillery, 
K, 3d Vt. Infantry, 
U. S. Navy, 

A, 4th Mich. Infantry, 
C, 50th Mass. Infantry, 
C, 125th Ohio Infantry, 
K, 122d N. Y. Infantry, 
K, 16th Wis. Cavalry, 
K, 7th Minn. Infantry, 
C, 26th N. Y. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
N. C. S. 11th Minn. Inf. 
C, 40th Wis. Infantry, 
C, 93d Ohio Infantry, 

B, 2d Wis. Infantry', 
M, 4th Mo. Cavalry, 

B. 44th Mass. Infantry, 
H, 120th Ind. Infantry, 
G, 6th Ind. Infantry, 

I, 6Sth Ind. Infantry, 

C, 4-th Minn. Infantry, 

E, Sth Ohio Infantry, 
C, 29th Mass. Infantry, 

B, 12th 111. Artillery. 

K, 146th N. Y. Infantry, 
A, 10th N. Y. Cavalry, 
K, 15th Vt. Infantry, 
A, 7th Minn. Infantry, 

F, 1st IMass. H. Artillery, 
E, Sth Minn. Infantry, 

H, 3d. Vt. Infantry,' 

G, 2d Minn. Cavalry, 
E, 2d Minn. Cavalry, 

C, 1st Minn. Infantr3% 

E, 6th Iowa Infantry, 
U. S. Navy, 

F, 76th N. Y. Infantry, 

G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 
G, 6th Minn. Infantry, 



May 8, 1890 
Feb. 23, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar. 11, 1882 
May 22, 1884 
Oct. 23, 1884 
May 14, 1885 
Mar. 25, 1886 
Feb. 10, 1887 

Feb. 9, 1888 
Feb. 9, 1888 
Aug. 24, 1889 
May 26, 1888 
Dec. 25, 1884 
Mar. 13, 1884 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Feb. 23 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
Mar. 9, 1882 
April 26, 1883 
Aug. 9, 1883 
Feb. 28, 1884 
Mar. 13, 1884 

May 8, 1884 
May, 22, 1884 
July 17, 1884 
July 17, 1884 
Nov. 12, 1885 
Nov. 12, 1885 
Dec. 10, 1885 
Jan. 17, 1886 
Mar. 10, 1887 
Nov. 10, 1887 
Nov. 24, 1887 
April 26, 1888 
May 24, 1888 
Feb. 28, 1889 
April 25, 1889 
May 8, 1890 
Feb. 28, 1884 
Aug. 13, 1891 
Feb. 9, 1882 
Mar. 26, 1885 



SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. 47 



ROSTER OF OFFICERS 

[of the post from its ORGANIZATION TO AND INCLUDING THOSE 
FOR 1S92.] 

Appil 8— June 30, 1870. 

P. C— Henry A. Castle, S. V. C— Hiram A. Kimball, 

J. V. C— True S. White, Adjt.— Mark D. Flower, 

O. M— Andrew R. McGill, Surgeon— John H. Murphy, 

O. D— William H. Dixon, S. M— J. Sanford Dixon, ' 

Q. M. S.— Ed. H. Judson, O. G.— John P. Leitner. 

July 1— Deeembep 31, 1870. 

P. C— Henrv A. Castle, S. V. C— Josiah B. Chanev, 

J. V. C— J. B. Ashelman, Adjt.— Ploraer C. Eller, 

Q. M.— Benjamin Brack, Surgeon — ^John H. Murphv, 

0. D.— Ed. H. Judson, S. M.— J. Sanford Dixon, ' 

Q. M. S.— John Way, O. G.— J. A. Roby. 

Fop 1871. 

P. C— Mark D. Flower,* P. C— Geo. T. Browning, t 

S. Y. C— Josiah B. Chanev, J. V. C— Geo. T. Browning, 

J. V. C— Jacob Mcese, t Adjt.— J. A. Roby, 

Q. M. — Benjamin Brack, Surgeon — John H. Murphv, 

O. D.— J. Sanford Dixon, S. M.— H. A. Castle, 

Q. M. S.— John Way, 0. G -Joseph P. Curry, 

Chaplain — Oscar W. Sears. 

"Resigned August 15. 

tElected August 22, vice Flower resigned. 

tElected August 22, vice Browning elected V. C. 

Fop 1872. 

P. C— Zene C. Bohrer, S. V. C— Joseph J. McCardv, 

J. V. C— Charles Hill, Adjt.— Jacob Meese. 

Q. M.— Charles S. Bunker, Surgeon— John H. Murpliv, 

0. D.— John H. Gibbens, S. M.— W. D. Hawkins, 

Q. M. S.— A. G. Johnson, 0. G — John T. Halsted, 

Chaplain— H. L. Mills. 
Fop 1873. 
P. C— True S. White, S. V. C— Charles Hill, 

J. V. C— Robert J. Strong, Adjt.— Charles H. Cobb, 

Q. M.— Joseph J. McCardy, Surgeon— Jacob H. Stewart, 

O. D.-W. H. Lower, S. ^1.— [None appointed.] 

Q. M. S.— Jacob Meese, O. G.— Charles Hettrich, 

Chaplain — ]. K. Hager. 
Fop 1874. 
P. C— Jacob Meese, S. V. C— Charles H. Cobb, 

J. V. C— F. Marion Finch, Adjt.— A. B. Holmes, 

Q. M.— Christian Roth, Surgeon— Jacob H. Stewart, 

0. D.— J. C. Merritt, S. M.— [None appointed,] 

Q. M. S.— [None appointed,] 0. G.— Samuel A. Sturtevant. 
Chaplain— John T. Halsted. 



48 history of acker post 

Fop 1875. 

P. C— Wilford C. Wilson. S. V. C— James H. Daly, 

J. V. C— P.P. Dillon,*! , ^^ ^ 11 tt r. 4.*- 

T 1 T T3 • u ™ J. f Adit. — Roswell V. Pratt, 

Jose(Dh L. Brigham, tJ -' ' 

Q. M.— Christian Roth, Surgeou^acob H. Stewart, 

O. D— Rudolph A. Becker, S. M— Edward H. Stevens, 

O. M. S.— [None appointed,] O. G— W. H. Brown, 

Chaplian — F. Marion Finch. 

"Resigned April 26. 

tElected May 3, vice Dillon resigned. 

Fop 1876. 

P. C— Joseph J. McCardy, S. V. C— Rudolph A. Becker, 

J. V. C— Christian Roth, Adjt.— Roswell V. Pratt, 

Q. M. — Edward H. Stevens, Surgeon — John H. Murphy, 

O. D.— W. H. Brown, S. M.— F. Marion Finch, 

Q. M. S.— [None appointed,] 0. G.— Joseph L Brigham, 

Chaplain— Geo. B. Nafie. 
Fop 1877.^ 
P. C— W. H. Brown, S. V. C.— F. Marion Finch, 

J. Y. C— Rudolph A, Becker, Adjt.— Roswell V. Pratt, 
Q. M.— Edward H. Stevens, Surgeon— Wilford C. Wilson, 

0. D. — ^James H. Johnson, S. M. — [None appointed,] 

Q. M. S. — [None appointed,] 0. G. — Nicholas Fh-un, 
Chaplain^oseph L. Brigham. 



Note. — No officers were elected to succeed the above, until July 8, 1881, the 
Post being in a comatose condition most of the time between the middle of 1877 
and July. 1881. 

Offieeps elected July 8, 1881, when the Post pesumed wopk. 

P. C— Joseph J. McCardv, S. V. C— F. Marion Finch, 

J. V. C— Rudolph A. Becker, Adjt.— Roswell V. Pratt, 
Q. M. — Edward H. Stevens, Surgeon — John H. Murphy, 

O. D.— True S. White, S. M.— Theodore Sander, 

0. M. S.— [None appointed,] 0. G.— Nicholas Flynn, 
Chaplain— Joseph L. Brigham. 

Note.— The above were the last officers under the tirst charter. 

ROSTER OF OFFICERS UNDER SECOND 

CHARTER. 

[The second charter bears date march 10, 1882. Post 
re-orgaxized february 9, and elected officers.] 

P. C— Walter T. Burr, S. V. C— U. S. Hollister, 

J. V. C— Edward Simonton, Adjt.— Roswell V. Pratt. 
Q. M.— John Way, Surgeon— C. G. Higbee, 

O. D.— Charles E. Chapel, S. M.— John Espy. 

Q. M. S.— Benjamin Brack, 0. G.— Nicholas Flynn, 

Chaplain — Edward H. Stevens. 



SAINT PAIL, MINNESOTA. 



49 



Fop 1883. 



P. C— William H. H. Taylor, 
J. V. C. — David L. Kingsbiirv, 
Q. M— John Way, 
O. D. — Greiiville Fales, 
O. M. S.— Wilkens Schenck 



Chaplain — Benjamin F. Irvine 



S. V. C. — Edward Simonton, 
Adjt.— Roswell V. Pratt, 
Surgeon— Charles Griswold, 
S. M. — ^.John Espy, 
O. G. — Peter Jerome, 



Fop 1884. 



P. C. — Edward Simonton, 
J. V. C— Roswell V. Pratt, 
O. M. — ^Joseph Burger, 
O. D.— M.J. O'Connor, 
Q. M. S.— George Walker, 



S. V. C. — David L. Kingsburv 

Adjt.— William W. Canfield, ' 

Surgeon— C. G. Higbee, 

S. AI. — ^John Espv, 

O. G.— Phillip D. Winchell. 



Chaplain — Edward S. Lightbourn. 



Fop 1885. 



P. C— Roswell V. Pratt, 
J. V. C. — Benjamin Brack, 
Q. M.— George Walker, 
Surgeon — [None elected.] 
S. AI.— George W. Hardacre, 
O. G.— [None elected,] 

' Resigned Nov. 20. 

t Appointed, vice Griswold. resigned. 



S. V. C— Edward H. Stevens. 
Adjt.— W. W. Griswold * \ 
James D. Wood f j 
O. D. Thomas W. Forbes, 
Q; M. S.— William O'Gorman, 
Chaplain — [None elected.] 



Fop 1886. 



P. C— Roswell V. Pratt * \ 
W. W. Braden t / 
Adjt.— I. H. B. Beebee, 
Surgeon — C. G. Higbee. 
S. M. — [None appointed.] 
O. G. — Romaine Sheire, 

* Re.signed March 11. 

t Elected P. C, vice Pratt, resigned. 



S. V. C— Thomas W. Forbes, 

T. V. C— W. W. Braden, 

Q. M.— George Walker, 

0. D.— [ohn P. Leitner, 

Q. M. S. — [None appointed.] 

Chaplain — Cla^' McCauley. 



Fop 1887. 



P. C- William J. Sleppy, 
J. V. C. — .\ndrew Delanev, 
Q. M.— Francis A. Krch," 
O. D.— Frank H. Elvidge. 
Q. M. S.— [None appointed.] 



S. V. C— Charles D. Parker. 
Adjt.— I. H. B. Beebee, 
Surgeon — Charles Griswold, 
S. M. — [None appointed.] 
0. G.— W. H. Brink. 



Chaplain— Walter T. Burr. 



50 



HISTORY OF ACKER POST. 



For 1888. 



P. C— Charles D. Parker, 
J. V. C— Josiah B. Chancy, 
O. M. — Francis A. Krch, 
0. D— Thomas W. Forbes, 
0. M. S.— William O'Gorraan, 



S. V. C— I. H. B. Beebee, 
Adjt— William C. Gribben, 
Surgeon — Charles Griswold, 
S. M.— John Rvan, 
0. G— Charles' E. Merritt, 



Chaplain — Walter T. Burr. 



P. C— Charles D. Parker, 
J. V. C— Josiah B. Chancy, 
O. M.— Francis A. Krch. 
0. D.— Frederick V. Siebold, 
Q. M. S. — Benjamin F. Irvine, 
Chaplain- 



FOP 1889. 

S. V. C— I. H. B. Beebee, 
Adjt. — William O'Gorman, 
Surgeon — Charles Griswold, 
S. M.— True S.White, 
0. G.— Horace C. Noble, 
Walter T. Burr. 



Fop 1890. 



P. C— I. H. B. Beebee, 
J. V. C— Frank B. Doran, 
Q. M.— Edward C. Starkey, 
O. D.— Horace C. Noble, 
0. M. S.— John P. Leitner. 



S. y. C— Josiah B. Chancy, 
Adjt. — Thomas W. Forbes, 
Surgeon — Charles Griswold, 
S. M.— [None appointed.] 
O. G.— William H. Howard, 



Chaplain— Walter T. Burr.* 



Died .July ti. Post voted to leave the vacancy unfilled. 



Fop 1891, 



P. C— I. H. B. Beebee,* 

Josiah B. Chanev,t 

J. V. C— Frank B. Doran, 

Edward S. Lightbourn, 

Surgeon — Charles Griswold. 

S. M.— John M.Joy, 

0. G.— William H. Howard, 



S. V. C— Josiah B. Chaney, 
Frank B. Doran ,$ 
Adjt. — Thomas W. Forbes, 
Q. M.— Edward C. Starkey, 
O. D.— Horace C. Noble, 
O. M. S.— Samuel C. Arbuckle, 
Chaplain— Phillip D. Winchell. 



* Resigned July 'J. 

t Elected P. C, Aug. 13, vice Beebee, resigned. 
t Elected S. V. C, vice Chaney. elected P. C. 
5 Elected J. V. C, vice Doran, elected S. V. C. 



Fop 1892. 



P. C— Edward C. Starkey,* 
Thomas W. Forbes,! 

Adjt.— Thomas W. Forbes, 
John M. Joy,$ 

O. D.— William H. Howard, 

Q. M. S.-John Way, 



S. V. C— F. Marion Finch, 
J. V. C— Charles E. Chapel, 
O. M.— Samuel C. Arbuckle, 
Surgeon — Charles Griswold, 
S. M.— John M. Joy, 
0. G.— John J. Swab, 



Chaplain— Phillip D. Winchell. 



* Resigned March 2Ji. 

t Elected P. C. April 14, vice E. C. Starkey, resigned. 

t Appointed Adjt. April 14, vice Forbes elected P. Commander. 



APPKNDIX. 51 



[APPENDIX No. 1.] 

MEMOIR OF WILLIAM H. ACKER. 



OFFICERS AND COMRADES OF "aCKER POST NO. 21, DEPART- 
MENT OF MINNESOTA, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC:" 

By resolution of "Acker Post, No. 21," passed at a reg- 
ular meeting held April 12, 1870, the undersigned was re- 
quested to prepare a sketch of the life and services of the 
heroic soldier whose name it bears. In compliance with 
that request I have devoted what time I have been able to 
spare from m}- other duties to its preparation. I am fully 
aware that I have not been able to do justice to the memory 
of the noble Acker. I have lacked both time and ability to 
do that; but I have done the best I could under all the cir- 
cumstances, and trust my comrades will overlook the 
many imperfections in a literary point of view, that will be 
discovered. I make no claim to skill in biographical writ- 
ing, and have indulged in no exaggeration; but have en- 
deavored to give a plain, unvarnished sketch. In tracing 
his histor3'I havefound it unavoidable to give, incidentally, 
portions of the history of others. 

Submitted in F. C. and L., 

J. B. CHANEY. 

St. Paul, Mav 10, 1870. 
4 



52 APPENDIX. 



MEMOIR. 



Capt. William Henry Acker, in honor of whom this 
Post of the Grand Army of the RejoubHc has so appropri- 
ately been named, was born at Clyde, Wayne Count}', New 
York, on the Fifth daj' of December, 1833. His father, Hon. 
Henry Acker, was born at Nyack, N. Y., in 1804. His 
grandfather, on the father's side, was also a native of New 
York, and is still living at the advanced age of ninet^'-six 
}-ears. His great grandfather, on the same side, was a na- 
tive of Holland, but emigrated to America previous to the 
Revolutionary War, married an English lad}', and settled 
in Clarkstown, N. Y. His mother, whose maiden name was 
Amanda Pope, was born at West Stockbridge, Mass., in 
1808. His grandfather, on the mother's side, was also a na- 
tive of Massachusetts, and served as a captain in the war 
of 1812-15. His great-grandfather, on the same side, was a 
native of Wales, but emigrated to America previous to the 
Revolution, and finally settled in Massachusetts. His 
grandmother, on the mother's side, was a Willard, — Ex- 
Govenor Willard, of Indiana, is descended from a branch of 
this family. 

When William Henry, who was the oldest son, was 
about three years of age, he removed with his parents to 
Jackson County, Alichigan. They subsequently moved to 
Kalamazoo, and afterwards to Detroit. In these portions 
of Michigan, most of his bo^-hood was passed, though he 
spent about two years at Ann Arbor, attending school. 

His father, while residing in Michigan, was engaged in 
commercial business, and was at one time quite largel}' in- 
terested in some of the Lake Superior copper mines. He 
was several times elected to the State Legislature, and in 
1840 was Speaker of the House. 



APPENDIX. 53 

William Henry received a commercial education, and 
was for some time engaged in mercantile pursuits. Pre- 
vious to coming to Minnesota, he spent about one vcar in 
the Lake Superior copper region. 

In the spring of 185-i he came to St. Paul, where he had 
a sister residing, the wife of Hon. Edmund Rice, and en- 
tered the law office of Rice, Hollinshead & Becker, where 
he remained about one year. He afterwards, for about 
two years, held the responsible position of book-keeper in 
the banking house of Marshall & Co. 

In the Spring of 1857, his father removed, with his fam- 
ih',to this city, where he still resides, honored and esteemed 
by all who know^ him, — was elected a member of the House 
of Representatives of the State Legislature in the fall of 
1859, and re-elected in 1860, — took an active part in the 
legislation of both sessions, and was placed upon impor- 
tant committees, he has also been repeatedh' elected to 
other offices of trust and responsibility, which he always 
filled to the fullest approbation of his constituents. 

Young Acker early developed a decided taste for mili- 
tary life, atid devoted much of his leisure time to the study 
of works upon militarv science. 

In 1856 he took an active part in organizing the "Min- 
nesota Pioneer Guards," the first uniformed military 
company in Minnesota, and in the original "Agreement'^ 
to form this company, his name stands first on the list. 
At the first election for officers and non-commissioned offi- 
cers of the Company, he was elected Fourth Sergeant; he 
was subsequently elected a Lieutenant, and on the Thir- 
teenth day of Jul}', 1858, was unanimously elected Cap- 
tain. The estimation in which he was held by his comrades 
may be seen by the following Preamble and Resolution, 
which were unanimously- adopted and ordered to be placed 



54 APPENDIX. 

upon the records of the Company, at a meeting held Sept. 
1, 1858, for the purpose of participating in the "Atlantic 
Cable" celebration, which took place on that day: 

"Whereas, Our much esteemed commander, Capt. W. H. 
Acker, is prevented by severe illness from uniting with us 
in the celebration of the day, and from filling his accus- 
tomed place at our head, therefore. 

Resolved, by the members of the 'Minnesota Pioneer 
Guard,' That we regret the absence of one who has always 
manifested the deepest interest in the welfare of the Com- 
pany, and whose duties as commanding officer have always 
been most faithfully discharged; and that we sincerely sym- 
pathize with him in his present illness." 

On the Nineteenth day of March, 1860, Governor Alex- 
ander Ramsey, appreciating his military talent, commis- 
sioned him Adjutant General of the State. The routine 
duties of the office at that time were not very arduous, 
there being really no militia organizations in the State save 
four independent companies. There was however besides 
these companies a large list of high military titles,— com- 
manders without an}' men to command. Not content with 
this state of things, he set himself to the work of devising a 
plan b\' which the military arm of the State might be made 
available in case of need. To this end he endeavored to ex- 
cite a public interest in the matter; and his efforts in this 
behalf resulted in the formation of three independent com- 
panies during the year 1860, making seven in all in the 
State. One of these new companies, the "St. Anthony 
Zouaves," afterwards became the nucleus of Company "E" 
in the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteers. He also, in 
conjuction with the Military Committees of thetwo Houses 
of the Legislature, during the session for 1861, framed a 
Bill for an Act to organize and discipline the militia of this 
State, which, had it become a law, would have enabled him 
to organize the military forces of the State in such a man- 



APPENDIX. 55 



ner as to have been available when the tocsin of war 
sounded so soon thereaftei-. But the Bill, though passing 
the Senate (by one majority), was suflcred to die in the 
House, b_v neglect. 

He was the warm personal friend and confidant of the 
immortal Col. Ellsworth. Being of like natures, thev were 
naturally drawn together. They visited each other when 
opportunity offered, and corresponded by letter. To him, 
Ellsworth cottfided his plans in regard to the formation of 
a grand "N.\tional Guard," composed of branch com- 
jianies in all parts of the Union, and forming together, one 
grand organization, ready at a moment's warning, to re- 
spond to the call of the Government, whenever its integritv 
might be threatened from any source. But this scheme, so 
grand in conception, and so noble in purpose, was prevented 
from being consummated by events which occured in the 
then immediate future. 

During the exciting political campaign of 1860, which 
resulted in the election to the presidencv of the now immor- 
tal Lincoln, he also took a prominent part, being Captain 
of the St. Paul Company of "Wide Awakes," — an organiza- 
tion, which, though not a militar}- one, yet had its militarv 
features. The opposite political party had a similar organ- 
ization called the "Little Giants." These two organiza- 
tions having their counterparts in nearly everv citv and 
town in the free States, at least, emliraced, [)ro1)abh' a large 
majorit}- of the young men therein, and had not a little to 
do in familiarizing them with military evolutions— little 
dreaming that in less than one year from that time the 
whole country would become avast parade ground for men 
in arms. Yet such was to be the case. 

Secession culminated in open war, by the bombard- 
ment of Fort Sumpter, at -i a. m., on the Twelfth of April, 
1861. President Lincoln issued his proclamation, calling 



56 APPENDIX. 



for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion, on the Fif- 
teenth of that month. The Governor of Minnesota, Alex- 
ander Ramsey, who was in Washington at that time, was 
the first to tender to the Government a regiment of men to 
aid in subduing the insurgents. He immediately telegraph- 
ed that fact to the Lieut. Governor, Ignatius Donnelh', who, 
on the Sixteenth, issued a proclamation calling for volun- 
teers to make up that regiinent. This proclamation was 
accompanied by an order from Adjutant General Acker, 
giving the details as to the organization of the proposed 
Regiment, and stating that preference for ten da^'s would 
be given, in accepting companies offered, to the several Vol- 
unteer Militia companies already organized. 

Recruiting commenced immediately; and within ten 
DAYS FOURTEEN companies reported for muster-in; Adjutant 
General Acker having raised one of them. He afterwards, 
April 24th, resigned his commission as Adjutant General, 
and devoted his entire time to his Company. John R. San- 
born (afterwards general) , was appointed Acker's successor 
on the day Acker's resignation took effect (April 24), but his 
commission was apparently not made out until May. The 
ten companies which were accepted, were, on the Twenty- 
Seventh of April ordered to rendezvous on the Twenty- 
Eighth at Fort Snelling, which at that time was private 
property, but had been secured for the purpose. On the 
29th, the Regiment was mustered into the service of the 
United States for three months, — that being the term re- 
quired by the call for troops, — his Company being "C." 
His commission was dated April 29, 1861. 

On or about the Fourth of May orders were received by 
Col. W. A. Gorman, commanding the Regiment, to detail 
six companies to go to the frontier forts, to relieve the reg- 
ular troops there stationed. The companies to move "as 
soon as fully equipped." 



APPENDIX. 



On the Seventh of May, 1861, the Governor received a 
dispatch from the Secretary of War, stating that the Gov- 
ernment preferred to have the Regiment mustered in for 
''three rears, or during the war." 

On the Tenth of Ma\' Col. Gorman was ordered by the 
Governor to "muster into the service of the United States, 
without dela}-, for the term of three \-ears, or during the 
war, so many of the officers and privates" as were "willing 
to enlist for that length of time." On the 11th, the work 
of re-enlisting commenced at dress parade. But three hun- 
dred and fift\^ in the entire Regiment, declined to be so 
mustered in; and onlv about twenty-five of those were in 
Companv "C." 

On the Twenty-Fifth of May it was announced that all 
the companies were recruited to the maximum, with three- 
years men; and on the 29th, the "First Regiment Minne- 
sota Infantry Volunteers," was mustered into the service 
of the United States "for three years or during the war." 
The service of the three months men who re-enlisted, dated 
from their £rst muster-in. 

On the Twelfth of June, Companies "C" and "D" took 
up their line of March for Fort Abercrombie, under the 
command of Lieut. Colonel Stephen Miller. But when 
about twelve miles this side of St. Cloud, they were over- 
taken by a courier bearing the welcome order to return to 
Fort SneWing forthwith. They made the return march in 
two days! — a distance of over sixty miles. On arriving at 
the Fort, they found their hopes realized — the Regiment had 
been ordered to Washington. The order was issued on the 
14-th, but, as several of the companies were at the frontier 
forts, or on their way to them, it re([uired several days to 
accomplish their return to Fort Snelling. 

On the Twenty-Second of June, 1861, the First Regiment, 
with the exception of Company "A," which had been sent 



58 APPENDIX. 

to Fort Ripley, and not yet returned, embarked at Fort 
Snelling on the steamer "War Eagle" and "Northern Belle," 
en route to Washington, where it arrived at 1 a. m., on the 
27th. The next day the Regiment -went into camp on Capi- 
tol Hill. 

On the morning of the Third of Juh' the Regiment broke 
camp in Washington, and in the afternoon of that day. en- 
camped on the "Sacred Soil" of Virginia, about half a mile 
back of Alexandria. But two or three of the companies had 
yet been dressed in regulation uniforms. For the most part 
they were still in red shirts as they were when the}- left the 
State, it being impossible to procure United States uni- 
forms. 

On the Twenty-First day of July, 1861, Capt. Acker, 
at the head of his Company, participated in the battle at "Bull 
Run," being among the foremost in the advance upon the 
enemy, and narrowlv escaping with his life. A buckshot 
struck the vizor of his cap, and glancing, grazed his fore- 
head over the right ej^e. Had the missile met no opposi- 
tion before it reached him, it must have taken his life. As 
it was, he fell insensible, but recovered consciousness soon 
after being taken up. The wound, though painful, was 
not ver\' serious, and he remained with the Regiment, one 
of the bravest of the brave "First Minnesota," who were 
among the last to leave that bloody field, marching awa}' 
with the regulars. Capt. Acker's gallantry at this battle 
was noticed and complimented, not only b\' his brother 
volunteer officers, but also b}' those of the regular army. 

On the famous retreat which followed the disasters of 
that day, the "First Minnesota" became divided, one part 
taking the road to Washington, and the other that to 
Alexandria. Capt. Acker was among the former, and 
finding himself the ranking officer, took command and led 
them into the city, arriving there after dark, and reported 



APPENDIX. 59 



to his Colonel. No preparations had been made for their 
reception, of course, as their return so soon was not 
looked for, and it was some little time l)efore rations and 
quarters could be provided for them. Our delegation in 
Congress, however, together with other Minnesotians 
there, did the best they could for their comfort. 

Capt. Acker's gallantry' and militar}- ability' coming to 
the knowledge of President Lincoln, he on the 8th of Au- 
gust, 1S61, sent him a Captain's commission in the 16th 
United States Infantry, the commission dating back to Mav 
4th. This was one of the new Regiments then reeenth' 
authorized b\' Congress. His Company in this Regiment 
was also "C." 

He was at once placed on recruiting service, and ordered 
to St. Paul. From here he was ordered to St. Peter, and 
from there to Watertown, Wis. 

He found the recruiting service irksome to him, and 
finally, after repeated requests, was permitted to join his 
Regiment, then stationed at Munfordville, K3'.. and at- 
tached to Gen. Rosseaus' Brigade, in Gen. McCook's 
Division. 

In Februar}^ 1862, Col. N. J. T. Dana, was promoted to 
the rank of Brigadier-General, and in forming his staff, he 
tendered to Capt. Acker the position of Assistant Adjutant 
General. At first the proposition was favorably entertain- 
ed. The War Department, in order to prevent, to some ex- 
tent, at least, officers in the regular service from accepting 
positions upon Volunteer Generals' Staffs, and thus creat- 
ing a large number of temporary vacancies in that branch 
of the service, had issued an order requiring of regular 
army officers who wished to accept such positions, a pro- 
visional resignation of their commissions; the condition 
lieing, that in case such generals should from anj- cause be 
mustered out, their staff officers must go out of service 



60 APPENDIX. 

with them. Capt. Acker was not wilHng to place him- 
self in any such contingency, and failing to get a suspen- 
sion of the order in his case, he finalh' declined the position. 
From this time, until his death, he was on dut}' with his 
Regiment, as, indeed, he had been from the time he first 
joined it, at Munfordville, some time in December previous, 
sharing the discomforts of camp life, and the dangers of 
skirmishing and picket duty, in that countr}^ and partici- 
patingin the long and tedious forced marches of Gen.Buell's 
army, over the horrible roads in Kentucky and Tennessee, 
at that season of the j'ear, to reinforce Gen. Grant at Pitts- 
burg Landing, or Shiloh, as it is frequently called. They 
arrived, or at least those of them who were not left ex- 
hausted on the route, at the opposite side of the river and 
about twelve miles below the landing, on the evening of 
the first day's fight, April 6, 1862. There the}- stood in the 
rain until about 4 a. m., of the 7th, when they embarked 
on steamboats for the scene of conflict Arriving there at 
about 6 a. m., they disembarked, and prepared to partici- 
pate in the bloody work of that memorable da3\ On that 
morning Capt. Acker dressed in full uniform, and when urged 
by a friend not to do so — to at least put on a private's 
-blouse, that he might not be so prominent a target, he re- 
plied, "No! If I am to die, I will die with my harness on!" 
And scarcely had the Regiment formed in line, and in -fact, 
while he was bringing his Company into position, a rebel 
sharpshooter, singling him out from among the rest, dis- 
charged his unerring rifle, loaded with death, the bullet 
piercing his forehead, near the place where he was wounded 
at "Bull Run," killing him almost instantly! 

Thus was one ofMinnesota's noblest citizens and soldiers 
cut down in the prime of life, and in the midst of usefulness, 
while defending his country against the armed hosts of the 
most unholy rebellion on record. Sealing his devotion to- 



APPENDIX. 61 

her cause with his warm heart's blood, he died the glorious 
death of the true soldier — with his "harness on" and his 
face to the foe. 

" Loved — almost adored — by his Companj'," saj's one 
writing of that sad event, "Capt. Acker's fall, for a moment 
cast a deep shadow of gloom over his command; it was but 
for a moment. With a last look at their rlead commander, 
and with the w^atchword, ' this for our Captain,' volley 
after volley from their unerring guns carried death into the 
ranks of his inurderers. From that moment but one feeling 
seemed to possess his still living companions — that of 
revenge for the death of their Captain. How terribly they 
carried out that purpose, the heaps of rebel slain piled 
around the vicinity of his body fearfully attest." 

The St. Paul P/oneer of May 6, 1862, in an editorial, 
says : " No casualty of the war has caused more unaffected 
sorrow to the citizens of St. Paul than the death of Captain 
WiLLi.AM Henry Acker; and from the time the startling 
news was made public there has been a general desire to 
honor his memor}'." 

Ex-Governor \V. R. Marshall, at that time editor of the 
St. Paul Press, says of him : "We knew him well, having 
been associated in our daily avocations for two years. He 
was the soul of manliness and honor. It could be said of 
him, as of Bayard, with truth, that 'he was without fear 
and without reproach.' " 

The Jackson (Mich.) Citizen, in announcing his death, 
says: " He will be remembered by man}' of the young men 
of this cit}', cotemporary in age, as the bright and manly 
bo\' who was a classmate with them in our public schools; 
and from the prestige of his youthful mind and manner 
might be inferred that patriotic and martial manner of his 
riper years, prompting him to devote his life to the service 
of his country." 



62 APPENDIX. 

Numerous letters of condolence were received b}'- his 
parents from brother officei'S and others. The following- 
extract is from one written by ex-Governor Stephen Miller, 
at that time Lieut. -Colonel of the "First Minnesota." The 
letter is dated April 25, 1862 : " I knew j-our son well ; was 
nigh him in his first engagement, and was favored with his 
confidence and friendship. And in a somewhat extensive 
acquaintance,! can truthfully say, that I have not known a 
purer citizen or braver soldier than William H. Acker. 
Though he has departed from us, the influence of his precious 
example still lives among us; and in the "Minnesota First," 
at least, his name will never be forgotten." 

A joint letter from Captains C. H. Lewis and Alex. H. 
Stanton, of the 16th United States Infantry (his regiment), 
bears similar evidence of his purity of character and gallan- 
try as a soldier. 

Probably but few, if any, young men in the service, had 
a brighter prospect for promotion upon m.erit, than did he. 
Energetic, brave and talented, he was one in whom St. Paul, 
and, indeed, the whole State, felt a just pride. And in his 
death the nation lost one of its most zealous defenders. 
His memory is embalmed in the hearts of all who knew him. 
He was buried on the battle field, near the Old Shiloh 
Church; but his remains were subsequently removed by 
his father, to this city, and deposited in Oakland Cemetery 
on the fourth of Maj- following. His funeral was probably 
the largest ever witnessed in St. Paul; the people assembled, 
almost en masse, to do honor to his memory. Being at the 
time of his death a member of "Ancient Landmark Lodge of 
Free and Accepted Masons," and also of the "Minnesota 
Royal Arch Chapter," his funeral obsequies were under their 
direction, and the solemn and impressive rites of that Order 
were fully observed. The city papers of that date contained 
a full account of the order of the procession, and other 



APPENDIX. 63 

interesting particulars of the funeral. But this sketch 
having already exceeded the limit originally designed, a 
simple reference to the full report of the exercises upon that 
sorrowful occasion published in the newspapers at the time 
is all that can be inserted here. 

Among the many gallant young men of our city who 
gave their lives for their country during those four years of 
strife, no one is remembered by a large circle of friends with 
feelings of more sincere affection than Capt. Acker. His 
memor\^ yet lives amongst us, iinfaded in its freshness ; and 
after the lapse of years, men still delight to do him honor 
by recounting his nobility of character, his virtues and 
his gallantry. Well chosen, indeed, is the name we have 
adopted for the Post in this city, as it fitly bears down the 
rolling stream of time a name worthy of being brightl}' 
emblazoned on the historj' of our State — William Hexry 
Acker. 



64 APPENDIX. 



[APPENDIX No. 2.] 

HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
MINNESOTA, G. A. R. 



By Henry A. Castle, 



PAST DEPARTMENT COMMANDER. 



The story of the first steps taken toward the organiza- 
tion of the Grand Arm}' of the Republic in the State of 
Minnesota is told in the preliminary' chapter of the history 
of Acker Post, published herewith. That meeting of ex- 
soldiers held at the State Capitol, in the city of St. Paul, 
August 1st, 1866, was the genesis of an institution, which 
has ever since numbered many enthusiastic devotees of the 
sacred principles of Fraternity, Charity and Lo3'alty within 
the borders of our flourishing commonwealth. It is true 
that the meeting referred to merely established a Post, but 
that Post was the nucleus of a department 

The movement spread so rapidly that on October 16, 
1866, onh' eleven weeks after the first Post was formed, a 
State Encampment, duK' convened, was held in Saint Paul. 
At this encampment there were present accredited delegates 
from seven Posts, reporting an aggregate of 319 members 
of the order in good standing. After proper deliberation on, 
and discussion of the needs of the fraternity, the encamp- 



APTENDIX. 65 

meat unanimously elected General John B. Sanborn, of Saint 
Paul (who had already acted as provisional Commander, 
under authority of the National organization), Department 
"Commander, or "Grand Commander of the Department," 
as the office was then designated. 

The Department thus auspiciousl}' formed, showed every 
sign of prosperity. General Sanborn was thoroughly im- 
bued with the principles of the new order, and showed 
great zeal and energ}' in prosecuting the work of extension. 
But ver}'^ soon after his acceptance of this promotion, he 
was appointed by the President of the United States to a 
very responsible position on a commission for negotiating 
treaties with several hostile Indian tribes. His official 
duties called him from the cit}' and state, and his absence 
continued several 3'ears. There was then no provision for 
Vice-Commanders, hence there was no one charged with 
the task of continuing the work he was obliged to relinquish. 
Consequently the Department organization languished. 
Several Posts disbanded. Others were kept alive, and 
maintained regular meetings, but without any communica- 
tion with a central authority, or with each other. 

This interregnum lasted for several months, but was 
terminated August 14, 1867, when the Second annual 
encampment assembled at Minneapolis. This was brought 
about by correspondence instituted b}- Frank Daggett, 
Commander of Wabasha Post, and editor of the Wabasha 
Herald. He suggested the meeting. Delegates were chosen 
b}- several Posts in response to the suggestion, and by 
special authority of General S. A. Hurlbut, Commander-in- 
Chief. Seven Posts, reporting 208 members, were repre- 
sented at this encampment. Among the delegates were : 
Frank Daggett, H.G. Hicks, Wm.Lochren. Henry A. Castle, 
W^ F. iMorse, L. P. Plummer, Dr. Collins, and others after- 
ward actively connected with the order through all its 



66 APPENDIX. 

changes. At this encampment, Frank Daggett, of Wabasha , 
was elected Department Commander, and thenceforward 
the department maintained a vigorous and a ver^- fruitful 
vitality for more than ten ^^ears. During this session, a 
long and historicalh' valuable letter from Adjutant-General 
B. F. Stephenson, the founder of the order, was presented, 
and transcribed in full in the minutes. I believe it has never 
been printed. 

A Charter of the Department was received soon after 
this encampment, signed by General Hurlbut as Com- 
mander-in-Chief, and Dr. Stephenson as Adjutant-General. 
It was carefully preserved, and was highly prized by all the 
comrades, but has now disappeared from Department head- 
quarters — it Wcis, however, never surrendered, and in equity, 
if not in technical formality, is the Charter under which we 
are now working. According to my recollection, it specially 
dated the organization back to August 1, 1866. If that is 
the case, we are really entitled to take rank among the 
senior Departments, instead of marching far in the rear, as 
we are now forced to do, owingto subsequent blunders and 
mismanagemen t. 

The Third annual encampment was held at Minneapolis, 
January 3, 1868, at which Henry G. Hicks, of Minneapolis, 
was elected Department Commander. Fifteen Posts were 
represented, reporting 336 comrades in good standing. 
At this meeting the first steps were taken tow^ard establish- 
ing the State Soldiers' Orphans' Home. The Department 
of Minnesota was duly represented at the National Encamp- 
ment for 1868, held in Philadelphia, at which General John 
A. Logan was first elected Commander-in-Chief On July 4, 
1868, a monster " Grand Army Celebration" was held at 
Owatonna, Minnesota, in connection with the semi-annual 
Department encampment. Commander Hicks presided ; 
Major John C.Hamilton was grand marshal, and Henry A. 



APPENDIX. 67 

Castle delivered the oration, entitled "The Problem of 
American Destin3\" Large delegations of ex-soldiers were 
present, from all parts of the State. 

The Fourth annual encampment was held at Winona, 
January 26, 1869, and was an occasion of much public 
interest, by reason of its enthusiasm and its oratorical and 
literary exercises. There were delegates from fourteen 
Posts, representing 4-23 members. General J. W. Sprague, 
an Ohio soldier of distinguished record in the Army of the 
Tennessee, then residing at Winona, was elected Depart- 
ment Commander. 

The Fifth annual encampment assembled at Minneapolis. 
January 6. 1870, and elected Major Jno. C. Hamilton, of 
Rochester, Department Commander. Nineteen Posts, con- 
taining -t30 members, were reported. At this meeting the 
pledge was made which resulted in the formation of Acker 
Post at Saint Paul, as recorded in comrade Chaney's sketch. 

At the Sixth annual encampment, held in Rochester, 
January' 24, 1871, Comrade Hamilton was re-elected Com- 
mander. Fourteen Posts, with 486 active members, were 
reported. Imjjosing public exercises — the first of the " camp 
fires" — were held at Heane^-'s hall in the evening, attended 
by over 1,000 people. 

On January 16, 1872, the Seventh annual encampment 
convened in St. Paul, its delegates being, for the second time, 
the welcome and honored guests of Acker Post. There 
were Fifteen Posts, numbering 481 members, represented. 
Henry A. Castle of Saint Paul, was elected Department 
Commander. At this period the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, 
the direct result of Grand Army agitation, and the first 
State ward of the Department was in full operation. It 
was located at Winona, reared and educated two hundred 
soldiers' orphans, and ^vas managed for about fourteen 
3'ears, by boards of trustees appointed by successive Gov-- 



68 APPENDIX. 



€raors, and consisting of G. A. R. men, including comrades 
Hicks, Gould, Barton, West, Castle, Barber, Flower, Van 
Cleve and others. It was a noble beneficence, worthily 
bestowed and conscientiously administered. 

We were represented in the National encampment for 
1872, held in Cleveland, Ohio, and were vigorous enough 
to make a good fight for our comrade H. G. Hicks, for 
Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, against General Keifer of 
Ohio, who was elected. The Adjutant General's report 
to this encampment shows that many Departments were 
"in a disordered and dormant state, making no reports to 
National headquarters." Among these Departments are 
mentioned Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kansas and Iowa, 
now allowed to rank us because w^e afterwards lay "dor- 
mant" for a short time. But the Inspector General, Robert 
B. Beath, reports to that same encampment : " Minnesota 
has Seventeen Posts; only one reported in bad condition. 
The Department is in excellent condition. The books and 
reports in good shape. Prospects very promising. Relief 
funds of Seven Posts, $800." 

The Eighth annual encampment, held in Saint Paul, Jan- 
uary 22,1873, re-elected Comrade Castle Department Com- 
mander. There were Seventeen Posts and 520 members. 

At the Ninth annual encampment, held in Minneapolis, 
January 21, 1874, Comrade Castle was for a third time 
elected Commander — the only case in the annals of the 
Department. Eighteen Posts were reported, with 526 
members. Comrade Cushman K. Davis, then Governor of 
the State, was given an ovation at the splendid banquet at 
the Nicollet House in the evening, where he delivered an 
eloqueat address. During this year, large donations of 
food, clothing and money were sent forward through the 
Department Commander to destitute comrades in the 
"grasshopper" regions. 



APPENDIX. 09 

The Tenth annual encampment was held in Saint Paul. 
January 27, 1875. D. \V. Albaugh was elected Commander. 
Eighteen Posts were represented, reporting 535 members. 

At the National Encampment held in Chicago in 1875, 
General Chas. C. Devens, Commander-in-Chief, the Depart- 
ment of Minnesota was represented by seven delegates, 
present in person. The report of the Adjutant General (see 
official proceedings, page 23) says : " Minnesota has made 
a gain in the number of comrades which is creditable to the 
Department and Post officers. Four of the Posts are in the 
district overrun b\' grasshoppers, but the liberal aid re- 
ceived from their brethren will inspire them with greater 
faith in the fraternit\' of the G. A. R. Minnesota is all 
right I" These references are made to show that during 
the gloomiest years of the G. A. R., the Department of Min- 
nesota was constantly alive, and was so recognized. For 
the cloud which arose later, the men who carried the order 
through these trying days are not responsible. 

The Eleventh annual encampment, held in Minneapolis 
Januar\' 26, 1876, elected Col. Geo. H.Johnston of Detroit, 
Department Commander. It was composed of delegates 
from Fifteen Posts, representing 555 members. Commander 
Johnston established Department headquarters in Saint 
Paul. 

On January 25, 1877, the Twelfth annual encampment 
met in Stillwater. Comrade D. B. Loomis, of Stillwater, 
was made Commander. It was in the midst of the fever 
heat of the Ha^'cs-Tilden Electoral Commission excitement, 
which reminded the veterans forcibly of the days preceding 
the Rebellion. But politics was tabooed, and visitors 
enjoyed to the full the proverbial hospitality of Stillwater's 
tireless citizens. Ten Posts, with 445 members were re- 
ported — the decadence had begvm. 



70 APPENDIX. 

The Thirteenth annual encampment assembled at Still- 
water January 28, 1878. Eight Posts reported, with 377 
comrades in good standing. William Willson, of Shakopee, 
was elected Department Commander. 

The Fourteenth annual encampment was held at Shak- 
opee, January 21, 1879. Eight Posts made reports, showing 
275 members. Only three or four, however, sent delegates 
to the encampment. Comrade C. A. Bennett of Stillwater, 
was elected Department Commander. 

Comrade Bennett failed to issue an order for the assem- 
blage of a Department Encampment in 1880. Five Posts 
maintained their organizations, sent their reports and per 
capita tax to the Department headquarters, and were ready 
to respond to a call to Department encampment. But no 
call came. This caused the "lapse" which broke the 
technical continuity of events, and formed the pretext for a 
new "provisional" organization. In May, 1881, a move- 
ment was inaugurated in Mueller Post at Stillwater to 
revive the Department. Department Commander Bennett 
lived in Stillwater, and was a member of that Post. There 
were four other live Posts in Minnesota, which had reg- 
ularly paid their dues to the A. Q. M. (myself), who after- 
wards turned the money over to the "new" Department, 
by special authority from National headquarters. But 
instead of securing an order from Commander Bennett con- 
vening an encampment of delegates from these Posts, to 
put the machinery again in motion, it was decided to forget 
the glorious past, ignore the present, and have Comrade 
Adam Marty, also of Stillwater, appointed provisional 
Commander, beginning all anew. 

Under this authority the (Fifteenth) annual encampment 
assembled at Stillwater, August 17, 1881, with Adam 
Martvas Commander. Seven Posts were represented, with 
248 members. 



APPENDIX. 



Janvian^ 18, 1882, the Sixteenth annual encampment 
(how claimed to be the first!) and assembled at Minne- 
apolis, re-elected Adam Marty Commander. Nine Posts 
were reported, containing 278 members. 

The Seventeenth annual encampment ( for I never have 
recognized, and never will recognize the justice or policv of 
establishing a new numerical order) met in Saint Panl, 
January 19, 1883, and elected Comrade John P. Rea, of 
Minneapolis, Department Commander. Sixteen Posts 
were reported wnth an aggregate of 7-45 members. From 
this point dates a marvelous grow^thand a permanent ])ros- 
perity of the Grand Army of the Republic in Minnesota. 
It has been thenceforward, both a pleasant and a popular 
thing to be affiliated with the order. The days of its re- 
proach were ended. Complete records of the growth of the 
Department, and the interesting incidents of its encamp- 
ments are embodied in the annual proceedings, which are 
easily attainable. Only the briefest outline is necessarvhere. 

The Eighteenth annual encampment met January 17, 
1884, at Stillwater. E. C. Babb of Minneapolis was elected 
Commander. The reports showed Sixty-two Posts and 
2,317 members. 

The Nineteenth annual encampment was held at Man- 
kato, January 28, 188v5. R. A. Becker of Saint Paul was 
elected Commander. There were One Hundred and Fifteen 
Posts and 5,611 members — the cause having received a 
powerful impetus from the session of the National En- 
campment in Minneapolis during the preceding year. 

The Twentieth annual encampment was held February 10, 
1886, at Fairljaidt. Wm. Thomas of Mankato was elected 
Commander. There were One Hundred and Thirtv-hve Posts 
and 6,672 members. At this meeting the first steps were 
taken for the establishment of the Minnesota Soldiers' 
Home, an institution of whicheverycomradeis justly proud. 



72 APPENDIX. 

The Twenty-first annual encampment was held at Saint 
Paul, February 9, 1887. L. L. Wheelock of Owatonna was 
elected Commander. There were One Hundred and Fift\'- 
Eight Posts and 7,304' members. 

The Twenty-second annual encampment was held at 
Minneapolis, Febuary 23, 1888. James H. Ege of Minne- 
apolis was elected Commander. There were One Hundred 
and Sixty-Three Posts wdth 7,648 members. 

The Twenty-third annual encampment was held at 
Saint Paul, January 23, 1889. A. Barto of Sauk Centre 
was elected Commander. There were One Hundred and 
Sixty-Five Posts and 8,245 members. 

The Twenty-fourth annual encampment was held at 
Alinneapolis, March 19-20-21, 1890. James Compton of 
Fergus Falls was elected Commander. There were One 
Hundred and Eighty-Five Posts and 8,201 members. 

The Twent3'-fifth annual encampment was held at 
Saint Paul, February 17-18-19, 1891. Charles D. Parker 
of Saint Paul was elected Department Commander. There 
were One Hundred and Eighty-Five Posts , and 8,201 
members. 

The Twenty-sixth annual encampment was held at Min- 
neapolis, February 17-18-19, 1892. L. M. Lange of Mar- 
shall was elected Department Commander. There were 
One Hundred and Eighty-Seven Posts and 8,343 members. 

This is a ver}' brief record of the Department organiza- 
tion from the beginning to the present time. If its full his- 
tor}' could be written, there would be embraced a chronicle 
of unselfish devotion, and a narrative of honorable deeds, 
which would prove beyond question tliat the survivors of 
the war have honestly striven to perpetuate the principles 
for which they fought and suftered. 



APPENDIX. 



[APPENDIX No. 3.] 

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE G. A. R. 



ICO.MPIl-KD FKO.M OFTICIAL SOURCES.] 



The Grand Army of the Republic was organized April 6, 
1866, in Decatur, the county seat of Macon County, Illinois. 
Its originator \Yas Dr. Benjamin F.Stephenson, a physician 
of Springfield, Illinois, \Yho had served during the war as 
surgeon of the 14th Illinois Infantry. He had spent many 
weeks in study and plans so that the order might be one 
that would meet with thegeneral approval of the surviving 
comrades of the war, and thus insure their hearty co-opera- 
tion. He made a draft of a ritual, and sent it b}' Captain 
John S. Phelps to Decatur, where two veterans, Messrs. 
Coltrin and Prior, had a printing office. These gentlemen, 
with their cmj)loyees, who had been in the service, were 
first obligated to secrecy, and the ritual was then placed in 
type in their office. 

The formation of a Post was under way in Springfield, 
but not being ready for muster, Dr. Stephenson, accompanied 
by several comrades, proceeded to Decatur, and, as stated, 
on April 6, 1866, mustered Post No. 1. with General Isaac 
C. Pugh as Post Commander, and Cajitain Kanan as Adju- 
tant. The latter gave material aid to Dr. SLe])henson in 
the work of organizing other Posts, and Dr. ]. W . Routh 



74 APPENDIX. 

served as chairman of a committee to revise the ritual. 
The title, "THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC, 
U. S.," was formally adopted that night. 

A Department Convention was held at Springfield, 111., 
JuU' 12, 1866, and adopted resolutions declaring the objects 
oftheG. A. R. General John M. Palmer was elected the 
first Department Commander. 

The first National Convention was held at Indianapolis, 
Ind., November 20, 1866. There were present repi-esenta- 
tives from Posts in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ken- 
tucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, 
and the District of Columbia. General Palmer presided. 
General Stephen A. Hurlbut of Illinois, was elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief; General Thomas B.McKean of New York, 
Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief; General Nathan Kimball 
of Indiana, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief; and Dr. Steph- 
enson, Adjutant General. 

The objects of the order cannot be more briefl}- stated 
than from the articles and regulations. 

1. To preserve and strengthen those kind and fraternal 
feelings which bind together the Soldiers, Sailors and 
Marines who united to suj^press the late Rebellion, and to 
perpetuate the memor}- and history of the dead. 

2. To assist such former comrades in arms as need help 
and protection, and to extend needful aid to the widows 
and orphans of those who have fallen. 

3. To maintain true allegiance to the United States of 
America, based upon a paramount respect for, and fidelity 
to its Constitution and Laws, to discountenance whatever 
tends to weaken loyalt}-, incites to insurrection, treason or 
rebellion, or in any manner impairs the efficiency and per- 
manencv of our free institutions; and to encourage the 
spread of universal libertv, ef|ual rights, and justice to all 
men. 



ArPENDIX. 75 

-t. Defines the qualifications of members in the following 
terms: Soldiers and Sailors of the United States Arm\', 
Nav\' or Marine Corps who served between April 12, 1861, 
and April 29, 1S65, in the war for the suppression of the 
Rebellion, and those having been honorablv discharged 
therefrom after such service, and of such State regiments 
as were called into active service and subject to the orders 
of United States general officers, between the dates men- 
tioned, shall be eligible to membership in the Grand Armv 
of the Republic. Xo person shall be eligible who has at any 
time borne arms against the United States. 

The second National Encampment was held in Indepen- 
dence Hall, Philadelphia, Pa., January' 15, 1868. In ad- 
dition to the departments represented at the first encamp- 
ment, there were representatives from Maine, New Hamp- 
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, 
New Jerse}-, AIar\dand, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Tennessee and Louisiana. In all there were twenty-one 
Departments. The organization had become national in 
its scope, and it was clearly foreseen, would before long 
include all the States and Territories. General John A. 
Logan of Illinois, was elected Commit nder-in-Chief. 

That which tended most to attract public attention to 
the organization was the issuance of the order of General 
Logan earh- in his administration, in 1868, directing the 
observance of May 30th, as Memorial Day. 

The third National Encampment assembled in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, May 12, 1869, at which General Logan was re- 
■elected Commander-in-Chief, (jeneral Lucius Fairchild of 
Wisconsin, was elected Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief; 
and General Joseph R. Hawle3- re-elected Junior Vice Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

Thcfourth annual encampment assembled May 11, 1870, 
in Washinorton citv. General Logan was re-elected Com- 



76 APPENDIX. 

mander-in-Chief; General Hawley was elected Senior Vice 
Commander-in-Chief, and General Louis Wagner of Penn- 
sylvania, was elected Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief. 

The fifth encampment was held at Boston, May 10, 1871, 
at which the system of grades, adopted in 1869, was abol- 
ished. General Ambrose E. Burnside of Rhode Island, was 
elected Commander-in-Chief; General Wagner, Senior Vice 
Commander-in-Chief, and Colonel James Coe}' of California, 
Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief 

The sixth encampment was held at Cleveland, Ohio, 
May 8, 1872, where General Burnside was re-elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief, and General Wagner Senior Vice Com- 
mander-in-Chief; General J. Warren Keifer of Ohio, Junior 
Vice Commander-in-Chief. At this encampment a resolu- 
tion was adopted requesting that services appropriate to 
the occasion should be held in the churches and all other 
places of worship throughout the country-, on the Sabbath 
preceding each Memorial Day. 

The seventh encampment was held at New Haven, Con- 
necticut, May 14, 1873. General Charles Devens of Massa- 
chusetts, was elected Commander-in-Chief, Dr. John R. 
Goble of New Jersey, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and 
Colonel Edward Ferguson of Wisconsin, Junior Vice Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

At Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the place of the eighth en- 
campment, General Charles Devens was re-elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief; General Edward Jardine of New York, 
Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and Guy T. Gould of 
Illinois, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief 

Chicago, May 12, 1875, was the place of the ninth en- 
campment. General John P. Hartranft of Pennsylvania, 
w^as elected Commander-in-Chief; General Joseph S. Rey- 
nolds of Illinois, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and 
Charles T. Buckbee of Connecticut, Junior Vice Command- 
er-in-Chief 



APPENDIX. 77 



The tenth encampment, which, up to that time, was the 
largest session, assembled at Philadelphia, June 30, 1876, 
and lasted until the evening of July 5th. The officers of 
the previous j'car were all re-elected. 

The eleventh encampment was at Providence, Rhode 
Island, June 26,1877. General John C. Robinson of New 
York, was elected Commander-in-Chief; General Elisha N. 
Rhodes of Rhode Island, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, 
and William Earnshaw of Ohio, Junior Vice Commander-in 
Chief. 

The twelfth encampment was held at Springfield, Mas- 
sachusetts, commencing June 4, 1878. General Robinson 
was re-elected Commander-in-Chief; Paul Van Der Voort 
of Nebraska, was elected Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, 
and Herbert E. Hill of Massachusetts, Junior Vice Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

The thirteenth encampment convened at Albany-, New 
York, June 17, 1879. William Earnshaw was elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief; John Palmer of New York, Senior Vice 
Commander-in-Chief, and Harrison Dingman of Washing- 
ton cit3% Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief. 

The fourteenth encampment was held at the Soldiers' 
Home, Dayton, Ohio, June 8, 1880. General Louis Wagner 
was elected Commander-in-Chief; General Edgar D. Swain 
of Illinois, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and Colonel 
George Bowers of New Hampshire, Junior Vice Command- 
er-in-Chief. 

The fifteenth encampment, June 15, 1881, was held at 
Indianapolis, Indiana, the place where the first was held. 
Mayor Geo. S. Merrill of Massachusetts, was elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief; General Charles L. Young of Ohio, Senior, 
Vice Commander-in-Chief, and Major C. V. R. Pontl of 
Michigan, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief. 



78 APPENDIX. 



The sixteenth encampment was held at Baltimore, Md. 
June 16, 1882. It was made a national affair, by the pro- 
cession being reviewed by President Arthur and General 
Sherman, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, who came 
from Washington for that purpose. Paul Van Der Voort 
was elected Commander-in-Chief; General W. E. \Y. Ross 
of Mar^dand, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and General 
I. S. Bangs of Maine, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief. It 
was at this encampment that the movement of the 
Woman's Relief Corps was inaugurated. 

The seventeenth encampment was held at Denver, Colo., 
commencing July 23, 1883. The legislature of Colorado 
appropriated $21,000 for the purpose. This was the first 
appropriation to the order, made by any State. The resi- 
dents of the city made liberal contributions for the recep- 
tion of the veterans. Colonel Robert B. Beath of Pennsyl- 
vania, was elected Commander-in-Chief; Major Wm. War- 
ner of Missouri, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and 
Major Walter H. Holmes of California, Junior Vice Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

The next encampment, the eighteenth, assembled at Min- 
neapolis, Minnesota, Jul}' 23, 1884. Minnesota also made 
an appropriation for the entertainment of the delegates to 
the Grand Army encampment, and this was increased by a 
liberal subscription from the citizens of the town. John S. 
Kountz of Ohio, known as the "Drummer Boy of Mission 
Ridge," was elected Commander-in-Chief; Capt. J. P. Rea, 
of Minnesota, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and Colonel 
Ira E. Hicks of Connecticut, Junior Vice Commander-in- 
Chief 

The nineteenth encampment assembled at Portland, \le., 
June 24, 1885. The State appropriated $10,000 towards 
the expenses of the encampment. The city government ap- 
propriated $5,000, and the citizens of the place contributed 



APPENDIX. 79 

an equal amount. The number ot veterans present was over 
thirty thousand. Samuel S. Burdett of Washington eity, 
was elected Commander-in-Chief; Seldon Connor ex-Gov- 
erner of Maine, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, and John 
R. Lewis of Georgia, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief. 

The twentieth encampment was held in San Francisco, 
California. It commenced July 2, 1886, and the proceed- 
ings, excursions, etc., were of a most interesting nature. 
General Lucius Fairchild of Wisconsin, was elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

The twenty-first encampment was held in St. Louis, 
Mo., in September, 1887. Judge John P. Rea of Minnesota, 
was elected Commander-in-Chief. 

The twenty-second encampment was held at Colum])us, 
Ohio, in September, 1888. William Warner of Alissouri, 
was elected Commander-in-Chief. 

The twenty-third encampment was held at Milwaukee, 
Wis., August, 1889, and General Russell A. Alger of Michi- 
gan was elected Commander-in-Chief. 

The twenty-fourth encampment was held in Boston,^ 
Mass., August, 1890, and General W. G. Veazie of Vermont, 
was elected Commander-in-Chief. 

The twenty-fifth encampment was held in Detroit, Mich., 
August, 1891. It was the "silver anniversary" of the order 
which made the occasion one of special interest and im- 
portance. John Palmer of New York, was elected Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 



ERRATA. 



In sixth line from bottom of page 20, giving location of 
the "Wigwam," read south-w^st instead of aorth-west 
corner. 



D. L KINGSBURY 






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